Advancing Through the Scales of Modeling Endeavor

Models cover a range of scales from organismic to ecosystem applications.  Each can have relevance in guiding resource management efforts.  Each has merits, limitations and constraints.  This talk will focus on modeling efforts based on development of balanced budgets as a first step.  Those range from bioenergetics for individual fish to mass balance budgets for food webs in an ecosystem context.  Each scale requires a different set of initial conditions and assumptions.  Therein lies a mix of knowledge and perils as the modeling efforts seek to explain cause-effect for observed conditions and expansions to dynamics in the future.  Examples will be developed for applications in both freshwater and marine systems.