Aquatic Modeling: An Interplay between Scales

This paper presents an integrated knowledge-based
approach to multi-scale modeling of aquatic systems, with a view to
enhancing predictive power and aiding environmental management
and policy-making. The basic phases of this approach have been
exemplified in the case of a bay in Saronicos Gulf (Attiki, Greece).
The results showed a significant problem with rising phytoplankton
blooms linked to excessive microbial growth, arisen mostly due to
increased nitrogen inflows; therefore, the nitrification/denitrification
processes of the benthic and water column sub-systems have
provided the quality variables to be monitored for assessing
environmental status. It is thereby demonstrated that the proposed
approach facilitates modeling choices and implementation option
decisions, while it provides substantial support for knowledge and
experience capitalization in long-term water management.

• Christina G. Siontorou

• Aquatic ecosystem
• integrated modeling
• multi-scale modeling
• ontological platform.

[1] Τ. Knoke, and T. Seifert, "Integrating selected ecological effects of
mixed European beech–Norway spruce stands in bioeconomic
modeling,” Ecol. Model., vol. 210, pp. 487-498, 2008.
[2] N. Sillero, "What does ecological modelling model? A proposed
classification of ecological niche models based on their underlying
methods,” Ecol. Model., vol. 222, pp. 1343-1346, 2011.
[3] G. B. Arhonditsis, and M. T. Brett, M.T., "Evaluation of the current state
of mechanistic aquatic biogeochemical modelling,” Mar. Ecol.-Progr.
Ser., vol. 271, pp. 13-26, 2004.
[4] N. D. Bennett, B. F. W. Croke, G. Guariso, J. H. A. Guillaume, S. H.
Hamilton, A. J. Jakeman, S. Marsili-Libelli, L. T. H. Newham, J. P.
Norton, C. Perrin, S. A. Pierce, B. Robson, R. Seppelt, A. A. Voinov, B.
D. Fath, and V. Andreassian, "Characterising performance of
environmental models,” Environ. Model. Softw., vol. 40, pp. 1-20, 2013.
[5] O. E. Frihy, "The necessity of environmental impact assessment (EIA)
in implementing coastal projects: Lessons learned from the Egyptian
Mediterranean coast, Ocean Coast Manage., vol. 44, pp. 489-516, 2001.
[6] D. H. Cushing, "The decline of the herring stocks and the gadoid
outburst,” Journal du Conseil - Conseil Permanent International pour
l'Exploration de la Mer, vol. 39, pp. 70-81, 1983.
[7] Z. Naveh, E. Allen, E. Laszlo, and M. Antrop, Transdisciplinary
Challenges in Landscape Ecology and Restoration Ecology - An
Anthology, The Netherlands: Springer, 2007, pp. 353-402.
[8] C. G. Siontorou, and F. A. Batzias, "Error identification/propagation/
remediation in biomonitoring surveys - A knowledge-based approach
towards standardization via fault tree analysis,” Ecol. Indic., vol. 11, pp.
564-581, 2011.
[9] C. Hesse, V. Krysanova, J. Päzolt, and F. F. Hattermann, "Ecohydrological
modelling in a highly regulated lowland catchment to find
measures for improving water quality,” Ecol. Model., vol. 218, pp. 135-
148, 2008.
[10] M. Marmion, J. Hjort, W. Thuiller, and M. Luoto, "Statistical consensus
methods for improving predictive geomorphology maps,” Comput.
Geosci., vol. 35, pp. 615-625, 2009.
[11] Y. Liu, H. Gupta, E. Springer, and T. Wagener, "Linking science with
environmental decision making: Experiences from an integrated
modeling approach to supporting sustainable water resources
management,” Environ. Model. Softw., vol. 23, pp. 846-858, 2008.
[12] F. A. Batzias, and C. G. Siontorou, "Creating a specific domain
ontology for supporting R&D in the science-based sector – The case of
biosensors,” Expert Syst. Appl., vol. 39, pp. 9994-10015, 2012.
[13] M. J. Darlington, and S. J. Culley, "Investigating ontology
development for engineering design support,” Adv. Eng. Inform., vol.
22, pp. 112-134, 2008.
[14] R. Malhorta, "Meta-modelling framework: A new approach to manage
meta-modelbase and modeling knowledge,” Knowl. Based Syst., vol. 21,
pp. 6-37, 2008.
[15] H. Li, A. Mynett, E. Penning, and H. Qi, "Revealing spatial pattern
dynamics in aquatic ecosystem modelling with Multi-Agent Systems in
Lake Veluwe,” Ecol. Inform., vol. 5, pp. 97-107, 2010.
[16] K. W. Chau, "An ontology-based knowledge management system for
flow and water quality modelling,” Adv. Eng. Softw., vol. 38, pp. 172-
181, 2007.
[17] A. S. Islam, and M. Piasecki, "Ontology based web simulation system
for hydrodynamic modelling,” Simul. Model. Pract. Th., vol. 16, pp.
754-767, 2008.
[18] K. Kotis, G. A. Vouros, and S. Stergiou, "Towards automatic merging
of domain ontologies: the HCONE-merge approach,” Web Sem., vol. 4,
pp. 60-79, 2006.
[19] Md. H. Seddiqui, and M. Aono, M., "An efficient and scalable
algorithm for segmented alignment of ontologies of arbitrary size,” Web
Sem., vol. 7, pp. 344-356, 2009.
[20] J.] Cheng, D. Bell, and W. Liu, "Learning Bayesian networks from
data: an efficient approach based on information theory,” in Proc. 6th Int.
Conf. Inform. Knowl. Manage., 1997, pp. 325–331.
[21] T. Hastie, R. Tibshirani, and J. Friedman, The Elements of Statistical
Learning: Data Mining, Inference, and Prediction, New York:Springer,
2001.
[22] I. Zacharias, and E. Fakiris, "Application of landsat imagery, to verify
near shore water circulation of saronikos gulf, as resulted from
numerical modeling,” Appl. Num. Anal. Computat. Math., vol. 2, pp.
281-290, 2005.
[23] C. Zeri, H. Kontoyiannis, and A. Giannakourou, "Distribution, fluxes
and bacterial consumption of total organic carbon in a populated
Mediterranean Gulf,” Cont. Shelf Res., vol. 29, pp. 886-895, 2009.
[24] S. Galanopoulou, A. Vgenopoulos, and N. Conispoliatis, "DDTs and
other chlorinated organic pesticides and polychlorinated biphenyls
pollution in the surface sediments of Saronikos Gulf, Greece,” Mar.
Pollut. Bull., vol. 50, pp. 520-525, 2005.
[25] E. D. Christou, "Interannual variability of copepods in a Mediterranean
Coastal area (Saronikos Gulf, Aegean Sea),” J. Marine Syst., vol. 15, pp.
523-532, 1998.
[26] N. Evangeliou, H. Florou, and M. Scoullos, "POC and particulate 234Th
export fluxes estimated using 234Th/238U disequilibrium in an enclosed
Eastern Mediterranean region (Saronikos Gulf and Elefsis Bay, Greece)
in seasonal scale,” Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta, vol. 75, pp. 5367-5388,
2011.
[27] H.W. Paerl, "Coastal eutrophication and harmful algal blooms:
Importance of atmospheric deposition and groundwater as "new”
nitrogen and other nutrient sources,” Limnol. Oceanogr., vol. 42, pp.
1154–1165, 1997.