Coastal generalized ecosystem model (CGEM) 1.0: Flexible model formulations for simulating complex biogeochemical...

Area of Science:

• Marine biogeochemistry
• Ecological modeling
• Coastal ecosystem dynamics

Background:

• Water-column optical properties, carbon, oxygen, and nutrient cycles, and plankton dynamics are crucial for coastal ecosystem health.
• Numerical ecosystem models often lack evaluation of structural uncertainty.
• The Coastal Generalized Ecosystem Model (CGEM) was developed to address these aspects.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce the Coastal Generalized Ecosystem Model (CGEM) as a flexible, open-source tool.
• To describe CGEM's formulations, state variables, and parameters.
• To evaluate the impact of different model formulations on simulations using case studies.

Main Methods:

• Developed CGEM, a biogeochemical model with flexible rate process formulations.
• Utilized two published case studies to test model sensitivity.
• Investigated impacts of light attenuation, phytoplankton growth, and sediment process formulations.

Main Results:

• CGEM's flexible structure allows for the evaluation of model structural uncertainty.
• Different formulations significantly impact simulations of coastal ecosystem processes.
• The model successfully simulates key biogeochemical and ecological dynamics.

Conclusions:

• CGEM offers a valuable, adaptable tool for coastal ecosystem research.
• The model's flexibility aids in understanding and addressing water quality issues.
• CGEM provides opportunities for advancing coastal ecosystem modeling and management.