Advisory panel completes independent review of S.F. Bay nutrient modeling tool

A science advisory panel led by SCCWRP’s Dr. Martha Sutula has completed an independent review of a San Francisco Bay computer model being developed to shed light on the ecological consequences of land-based nutrient discharges in the coastal estuary.

The expert panel, which completed its review in February, concluded that the modeling team is making excellent progress validating the model’s predictive capabilities. Although suggestions were made for refinements to the model and the approach to validating the model, panelists encouraged early applications of the model to support ongoing nutrient management decisions.

The S.F. Bay model is similar to the Southern California computer model being developed to understand the trajectory of ocean acidification and hypoxia in coastal waters. The two models were developed by independent teams of researchers; both teams are working to understand how land-based nutrient discharges affect coastal ecological health.