Monitoring Program Design - Coastal Lagoons: Ecosystem Processes and Modeling for Sustainable Use and Development - page 325

7.6 FINAL REMARKS AND CONCLUSIONS

Monitoring and modeling are two modern tools for supporting decision making.
Nowadays they complement each other in many ways and cannot be considered
separately.
The quality of models and their output depends on high quality input data,
generated by a different kind of monitoring and data collection programs. On the
other hand the efficiency of monitoring programs directly depends on the mod-
eling assessment of monitoring schemes and capability to use the monitoring
results in model forecasts. The best example of such cooperation is feedback
monitoring.
Some practical recommendations on the design of specific monitoring programs
given in this chapter aim both at decision making and quantitative assessment model
development. Implementation and use will help readers establish a link between
these two powerful tools of environmental management.
Monitoring is undertaken in consideration of environmental objectives as well
as the needs of the ultimate users of the information - decision makers.
Monitoring based on low frequency of measurements (e.g., on a periodic research
cruises) is not very useful for modeling purposes. Coastal environments are
extremely dynamic, therefore high frequency measurement programs are necessary.
They may be built on an intensive/high frequency monitoring. New techniques, such
as automated equipment, remote sensing, ships of opportunity, moored ships, and
buoys, should be developed. They supply online or high frequency data necessary
both for the understanding of natural variability and for environmental modeling.
Selection of monitoring stations and parameters and frequency of measurements
should take into account natural variability of the system.
Monitoring should be supported by suitable scientific programs. Assessment of
the state of the environment should be based not only on monitoring results but
should also include all the available scientific data.
Data originators should follow strict guidelines and implement a data quality
system (in-house quality procedure and external intercalibrations). Data formats and
reporting procedures are usually elaborated by a monitoring data center.
Occasional revisions of monitoring activities are necessary as a result of expe-
rience gained, improvements in monitoring methods, and the introduction of new
techniques and parameters. Monitoring systems should thus be designed in a flexible
manner to facilitate such revisions.

REFERENCES

1. ICES, Report of the Advisory Committee on the Marine Environment, ICES Coop. Res.

Rep. No. 233, 1988.

2. ICES, ICES Role in Environmental Monitoring, ICES C.M. 1995/Gen.7, 1995.

3. Andrulewicz, E., Developing monitoring and assessment strategy in the Baltic Sea, ICES

C.M. 1992/E:46, Mimeo, 1992, 10 pp.

4. Gürel, M., Nutrient dynamics in coastal lagoons: Dalyan Lagoon case study, Ph.D. thesis,

Istanbul Technical University, Institute of Science and Technology, Istanbul, Turkey,
2000.