Putting fish in the tank: An Agent Based Model with flow interaction

An Agent Based Model (ABM) coded in Matlab is described in which fish (or other marine creatures) are introduced into the 3D underwater flow domain modelled by TELEMAC. The released fish individuals are preassigned a set of physiological characteristics and behavioural traits and are then free to swim and interact with each other in the flow field environment. The model is particularly designed to model potential impacts on marine organisms due to anthropogenic induced stresses, such as caused by underwater noise and/or interaction with power station intakes or hydro-power turbines. A description of the algorithms is given followed by an example of how the ABM can be used to assess the potential stress exerted on fish populations due to underwater noise generated from pile driving during construction of a hypothetical offshore windfarm. Future developments of the model will also be described.