Elements of Management Systems in Coastal Regions

The progress made in numerical modelling of coastal regions now allows the elaboration of more complete and realistic management systems for these regions. Such systems must however take cognisance not only of chemical and biological processes, but also of legislative and other social constraints. The feasibility of such systems is now being actively investigated. It has been found that one promising approach to management systems is to design them as Aquatic Environment Management Systems (AEMS) that will, in the first instance, drive advice servers. A specification for a complete AEMS is presented and this is augmented by functional specifications of its five principal components.