Submitted by Steve R. Chipps

FITS members – a quick update on Fish Bioenergetics 4.0. This summer we finalized a database that contains parameter estimates for 108 bioenergetics models —  quite an increase from the 33 models in Fish Bioenergetics 3.0!  We also completed a literature review of bioenergetics models and developed an Endnote library with links to PDFs. Ultimately, the library, PDFs, parameter estimates, etc… will be available on the FishBioen Web site.

David Deslauriers, PhD student at South Dakota State University, has developed a working R-version of the model that links to bioenergetics models in the database.  Recently, we’ve developed an on-line prototype of the R program using Shiny, an R-based application that can be run from any computer that has access to the internet.  At this point, the application is a prototype; we are currently adding sub-models for nutrient analysis, contaminants, and population modeling as well as adding links to input user data and parameter estimates.  We anticipate that the full version of the application will be ready for testing/review by Spring 2015.   For anyone interested in helping with the project, we could use assistance with web page design & development, to supplement the model.

You can view the prototype version by following the link: http://bioenergetics4.shinyapps.io/bioenergetics4

Some instructions from Dave…

The app opens with a default simulation (yellow perch growing for one day). This is to avoid an error message. But once the app is running, you can modify the species, and different input variables. You will need to click run at the bottom of the app. to see any of the changes you made apply. So far, you cannot input your own temperature, prey energy density, and prey proportions. I am working to make that option available. Some of the models for various species create an error in the app and we are working to fix these.

For more information or to assist with the project, please contact David Deslauriers david.deslauriers@sdstate.edu , Steve Chipps steven.chipps@sdstate.edu , Jim Breck breck@umich.edu or Chuck Madenjian chuck.madenjian@usgs.gov