Interoperable and reusable models

Embedding of wind-farm related filtration from blue mussels into a regional ocean modeling system (Slavik et al. 2019). Graphics: Lemmen/ Hereon

The ecological and biological process models we develop and apply often play a subordinate role in ocean models, where traditionally much of the expertise and effort has been spent on the hydrodynamics. We introduced a novel infrastructure, the Modular System for Shelves and Coasts (MOSSCO, Lemmen et al. 2018), that allows us a more granular approach to the many subcomponents that make up a system describing the coastal ocean. We can thereby concentrate on ecological questions like who eats whom (Wirtz et al. 2019), how large the filtration service provided by blue mussels is (Lemmen 2018) and how much their fouling on offshore wind farm structures affects ecosystem productivity (Slavik et al. 2019); or, how sediments are stabilized by clams during storm events (Nasermoaddeli et al. 2018) -- all using the same modular infrastructure.

The building blocks of good modeling software practices (GMSP, Lemmen & Sommer 2024). Graphics: Lemmen/Hereon

To make models reusable and accessible, many long-known and some emerging practices are slowly being applied also to models of the marine environment. We give introductory guidelines on how to integrate good practices into the development of scientific models (Lemmen & Sommer 2014). We provide a checklist on what you could consider before deciding to include a new process into a model (Martin et al. 2024), and we are a founding member in the Open Modeling Foundation (OMF, www.openmodelingfoundation.org) where we develop future modeling standards and practices in an international community.