428
N.J. Brown et al.
improved understanding of multi-disciplinary processes in catchments,
estuaries and coastal oceans
integrated models to simulate the flux, transformations and effects of
materials from the land, through rivers, estuaries, the coastal zone and the
atmosphere to the shelf edge
integrated databases and models within GIS, and other systems, to make the
understanding and information accessible for the purpose of coastal zone
management
improved technologies for monitoring variability and change in river and
coastal environments, particularly with respect to the transport and fate of
suspended sediment, nutrients and organic pollutants
integrated databases for the LOIS study areas that will be made available on
CD-ROM
BIOTA
The BIOTA programme studies the fluxes within the inter-tidal zone. It concentrates on the
interactions between biotic and abiotic components of this system. The main study sites of
the BIOTA programme are found on the east coast of England. Fig. 2 shows the location of
these sites. The study sites cover a range of coastal environments including river estuaries,
bays and exposed coasts. They include the North Norfolk coast, the Humber estuary, the
Wash and Northumberland. Within the study areas are sites containing mature and
developing saltmarsh and a variety of bare sediments and shellfish and invertebrate beds.
To facilitate communication and co-operation, the BIOTA data centre has
developed a spatial Decision Support System (DSS) based on a hybrid distributed database
and a GIS. Example analyses from this DSS are described in this chapter.
The main theme of research within BIOTA is to examine the relationships
between plants and animals and the physical environment within their habitat, the intertidal
area. There are a number of main research areas but here we have described a small
selection of example analyses.
The Decision Support System - Design and Construction
Because of the requirements within LOIS for the integration of scientific research, a simple
spatial Decision Support System (DSS) is being developed by the BIOTA data centre staff
(the authors) to provide access to data, models and decision support functionality. The key
reason for a DSS is that it provides assistance in conceptualising the problem, supporting
intelligence, design and choice in decision making, and production of memory and control
aids. In the particular case of the BIOTA programme, a DSS has been preferred to an
“expert system” because, within environmental problems, there is rarely a tractable
algorithmic solution, there is usually a multiplicity of objectives, there is a need to generate
and evaluate alternatives and to justify choices made.
Data for the BIOTA project come from a wide variety of sources. Some of these,
such as remote sensing and ground surveys carried out within LOIS, are freely available
N.J. Brown et al.
improved understanding of multi-disciplinary processes in catchments,
estuaries and coastal oceans
integrated models to simulate the flux, transformations and effects of
materials from the land, through rivers, estuaries, the coastal zone and the
atmosphere to the shelf edge
integrated databases and models within GIS, and other systems, to make the
understanding and information accessible for the purpose of coastal zone
management
improved technologies for monitoring variability and change in river and
coastal environments, particularly with respect to the transport and fate of
suspended sediment, nutrients and organic pollutants
integrated databases for the LOIS study areas that will be made available on
CD-ROM
BIOTA
The BIOTA programme studies the fluxes within the inter-tidal zone. It concentrates on the
interactions between biotic and abiotic components of this system. The main study sites of
the BIOTA programme are found on the east coast of England. Fig. 2 shows the location of
these sites. The study sites cover a range of coastal environments including river estuaries,
bays and exposed coasts. They include the North Norfolk coast, the Humber estuary, the
Wash and Northumberland. Within the study areas are sites containing mature and
developing saltmarsh and a variety of bare sediments and shellfish and invertebrate beds.
To facilitate communication and co-operation, the BIOTA data centre has
developed a spatial Decision Support System (DSS) based on a hybrid distributed database
and a GIS. Example analyses from this DSS are described in this chapter.
The main theme of research within BIOTA is to examine the relationships
between plants and animals and the physical environment within their habitat, the intertidal
area. There are a number of main research areas but here we have described a small
selection of example analyses.
The Decision Support System - Design and Construction
Because of the requirements within LOIS for the integration of scientific research, a simple
spatial Decision Support System (DSS) is being developed by the BIOTA data centre staff
(the authors) to provide access to data, models and decision support functionality. The key
reason for a DSS is that it provides assistance in conceptualising the problem, supporting
intelligence, design and choice in decision making, and production of memory and control
aids. In the particular case of the BIOTA programme, a DSS has been preferred to an
“expert system” because, within environmental problems, there is rarely a tractable
algorithmic solution, there is usually a multiplicity of objectives, there is a need to generate
and evaluate alternatives and to justify choices made.
Data for the BIOTA project come from a wide variety of sources. Some of these,
such as remote sensing and ground surveys carried out within LOIS, are freely available