Modeling

By simulating systems too large or too complex for real-world experiments, environmental models allow scientists to predict how management actions could affect our ecosystem.

Mayor Leo Lutz of Columbia, Pennsylvania; Scott Phillips of the U.S. Geological Survey; and Lee Currey of the Maryland Department of the Environment discuss how monitoring and modeling efforts complement each other in order to reveal the Chesapeake Bay watershed in fine detail. (Will Parson/Chesapeake Bay Program)

Environmental computer models are mathematical representations of the real world that estimate environmental conditions, and can be used to simulate ecosystems that are too large or complex for real-world monitoring. Chesapeake Bay model simulations, called scenarios, simulate how various changes or actions could affect the Bay ecosystem, especially water quality, wildlife and aquatic life.