Way forward in practical model applications [three dimensional interactive computer modelling of coastal waters]

The extent to which models of coastal waters represent the real world is limited by the model technology available, the understanding of the natural processes and the practicability of representing the processes in the model. All models are compromises, depending on the judgement of the model builder. The way forward must be to reduce the severity of the compromises that must be made. The real world is three dimensional. The way forward must be to create proper three dimensional simulations of essentially three dimensional situations. Models for coastal pollution studies must contain all the relevant physical, chemical and biological processes. These processes are now known to be interactive, sometimes in unexpected ways. The way forward must include interactive modelling. Advances in computer architecture make unnecessary many of the compromises previously accepted. Parallel processing enables three-dimensional models of extensive areas to be reconstructed. Advances in modelling capabilities demand advances in the quality and quantity of site data that support them, and the means of transferring and presenting model output to the practical user demands special attention.