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Figure 1<\/b> - The Ecosampler interface upon launch with the main toolbar (1), sample list (2), sample management section (3), and batch run section (4).[\/caption]\r\nEcosampler is a utility for Ecopath with Ecosim (EwE) that records alternate balanced Ecopath parameter sets (referred to as \u2018samples\u2019) produced by the EwE Monte Carlo routines. Ecosampler can then run these samples through the EwE core modules Ecopath, Ecosim and Ecospace, and any active plug-in. Any saved model output can then be used to assess the impact of Ecopath input parameter uncertainty onto predictions of any EwE module.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_1211\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"300\"] Figure 1<\/b> - The Ecosampler interface upon launch with the main toolbar (1), sample list (2), sample management section (3), and batch run section (4).[\/caption]\r\nObtaining the Plug-in<\/h2>\r\n
Ecosampler is distributed as part of EwE version 6.6+. For any issues, contact the EwE development team at ewedevteam@gmail.com.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
The Ecosampler interface is launched by choosing Navigator > Tools > Ecosampler<\/em>. The Ecosampler interface offers the following elements (Figure 1):<\/p>\r\n\r\n Ecosampler records samples from the Monte Carlo routine that ships with the EwE desktop software.\u00a0 Toggle the Record<\/em>\u00a0button (Figure 2) to enable and disable record mode.<\/p>\r\n \r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_1212\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"362\"] While recording, Ecosampler listens to the execution of Monte Carlo, and intercepts and stores any alternate mass-balanced parameter found by Monte Carla as a \u201csample\u201d in the currently loaded model database. The samples immediately appear in the samples list, showing the current date and the name of the computer EwE is executed on.<\/p>\r\n To stop recording samples, do the following:<\/p>\r\n\r\n A stored sample can be loaded in the EwE interface to assess its validity.<\/p>\r\nTo load a sample, do the following:\r\n Recording a large number of samples may take considerable time, especially when Monte Carlo is configured to perturb the diet composition matrix and when the chances to randomly find alternate mass-balanced models are slim. In this case, it makes sense to record samples for the same model simultaneously on multiple computers. Once all recording is complete, the Import Samples functionality can then be used to bring all generated samples \u2013 generated by the Ecosampler runs in different copies of the EwE model \u2013 back into one model.<\/p>\r\n\r\n To import models from another model do the following:<\/p>\r\n\r\n The sample list will be updated with samples found in the selected model.<\/p>\r\n\r\n Samples are alternate mass-balanced configurations for one specific set of values of an Ecopath model. If any Ecopath input parameter is changed by the user and this change is saved, all stored samples in principle become invalid.\u00a0In this case, Ecosampler will prompt the user whether stored samples should be deleted.<\/p>\r\n\r\n The second aim of Ecosampler is to run samples though various components of EwE and collect output.<\/p>\r\n To run Ecosampler samples through EwE, do the following:<\/p>\r\n\r\n When a batch run is started, Ecosampler will execute the current model configuration as a baseline sample, and will store this in a subfolder Sample_baseline<\/em> under the default core output path. If Ecopath does not balance, the user is notified, and the batch run is aborted.<\/p>\r\n If Ecopath did balance, then Ecosampler checks if Ecosim, Ecospace and Ecotracer are loaded. Ecosampler will start processing the list of samples, starting at the first stored sample up to the end of the list or until the number of requested samples has been processed. It will run each sample in turn.<\/p>\r\n When running a sample, EcoSampler performs the following steps:<\/p>\r\n\r\n The output of Ecosampler is an organized series of folders \u2013 a baseline output folder and a unique folder per executed sample - under the current EwE output directory, with regular file-based output for the components that were activated. Each sample folder contains the various output files written by EwE components set to automatically write their output to file when Ecosampler was executed.<\/p>\r\n\r\n Ecosampler writes its activities to the Ecopath log file, which can be viewed by choosing Main Menu > About > View Log File<\/em>.<\/p>\r\n\r\n A series of future changes can be foreseen:<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n \t
Recording Samples<\/h1>\r\n
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Figure 2<\/b> - Ecosampler record mode is on, and many samples have been recorded from Monte Carlo. Sample 9 is loaded in EwE, and the sample can be unloaded or deleted.[\/caption]\r\n\r\nTo record samples, do the following:\r\n\r\n \t
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Managing Samples<\/h2>\r\n
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\r\n\r\nEcosampler contains a safety feature that prevents users from accidentally overwriting their original parameters with a loaded sample. If a sample is then modified, and then saved, Ecosampler will first restore the original parameters.However, it is possible to save a loaded sample as a new Ecopath base model. To do so, save a model with a loaded sample using the \u201cSave As\u201d function (\u201cMenu > File > Save as\u2026\u201d). This writes the model under a new name, using the sample content as new Ecopath base line inputs.\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\nImporting Samples<\/h1>\r\n
\r\n\r\nIt is NOT recommended to run multiple copies of Ecosampler on the same computer and the same EwE model. Microsoft Access models are not designed for concurrent writing (e.g., having multiple programs save changes to the same database at the same time).\u00a0 If you wish to run multiple Ecosampler copies on one computer, then each Ecosampler copy MUST operate on its own copy of the EwE model file!\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n \r\n\r\n \t
\r\n\r\nEcosampler will import samples from any model without any safety checks It is the ultimate responsibility of the user to check whether the import process makes sense, e.g., whether the import source and destination models are the same.\r\n\r\nThe import option also provides an option to import samples generated and stored by the Cefas MSE routines. This logic has not been implemented yet.\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\nExpiring Samples<\/h1>\r\n
Running Samples<\/h1>\r\n
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\r\n\r\nEcosampler is a simple tool that only reruns the present EwE configuration. Ecosampler has no means to decide which data may need saving, and has no means to control which plug-ins will run. Instead, it relies on the current configuration of the EwE software to take care of this. For instance, if the Ecological Indicators plug-in is set to run with Ecopath and Ecospace, and Ecospace is set to autosave ASCII output maps in Ecospace parameters, these settings will also apply to every sample ran by Ecosampler.\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\nUsing the Ecosampler Output<\/h1>\r\n
Troubleshooting<\/h1>\r\n
Further Development<\/h1>\r\n
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\r\n\r\nEcosampler was built by Ecopath International Initiative<\/a>\u00a0and has been added to the Ecopath with Ecosim source code repository.\r\n\r\nEcosampler was realized through funding from the European Commission through the Marie Curie Career Integration Grant Fellowships PCIG10-GA- 2011-303534 - to the BIOWEB project. This study is a contribution to the projects SafeNET (EU-DGMARE MARE\/2014\/41) and MERCES (European Union\u2019s Horizon research and innovation programme grant agreement No 689518). X. Corrales was supported by an IOLR scholarship under the DESSIM project (\u201cA Decision Support System for the management of Israel\u2019s Mediterranean Exclusive Economic Zone\u201d).\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\nReferences<\/h1>\r\n