Coral larval particle tracking simulations for the Great Barrier Reef. 2015 to 2021

Full description

This collection contains simulated coral larval dispersal trajectories for reefs across the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) from 2015 to 2021. The dataset was generated using a biophysical particle-tracking framework implemented in OceanParcels, driven by oceanographic outputs from the GBR1 hydrodynamic model.

Larval particles were released from 3,806 mapped GBR reefs and tracked through time to represent dispersal pathways. The simulations incorporate biologically realistic larval behaviour to represent coral larval dispersal dynamics better.

The resulting particle trajectory data support analyses of reef-to-reef connectivity, larval supply, and spatial patterns of dispersal across multiple years. This dataset is intended to support ecosystem modelling, connectivity assessments, restoration planning, and management applications for the Great Barrier Reef.
Lineage: The data were produced using a biophysical larval dispersal modelling framework based on the OceanParcels particle-tracking library. Ocean current fields were sourced from the GBR1 hydrodynamic model and used as the underlying oceanographic forcing for all simulations.

Larval particles were released from reef locations representing 3,806 reefs across the Great Barrier Reef. Simulations were conducted annually from 2015 to 2022. Particle trajectories were advected using time-varying velocity fields from GBR1, with additional biological behaviour implemented through custom Python functions. Including: larval vertical migration and coastal displacement.

All simulations were executed using a dedicated OceanParcels-based workflow, with the modelling code and configuration publicly available at:
https://github.com/gbrrestoration/GBR-OceanParcels.git