Coastal Lagoons - Chapter 7 doc

Monitoring

Program Design

Eugeniusz Andrulewicz and Boris Chubarenko

CONTENTS

7.1 Introduction

7.1.1 Definition of Environmental Monitoring

7.1.2 Objectives of Environmental Monitoring

7.1.3 Some Examples of Current Monitoring Programs

7.1.4 Issues Specific to Monitoring of Lagoons

7.2 Monitoring System Design

7.2.1 Monitoring for Meteorological

and Hydrodynamic Parameters

7.2.2 Monitoring for Physical Parameters

7.2.3 Monitoring for Chemical Parameters

7.2.4 Monitoring for Biological Parameters

7.2.5 Monitoring of Impact of Different Uses of Lagoons

7.3 Monitoring-Related Programs

7.3.1 Monitoring Guidelines and Quality Assurance Program

7.3.2 Data Formats and Data Banking

7.4 Relationship between Monitoring and Modeling

7.4.1 Perspective: Monitoring to Modeling

7.4.2 Perspective: Modeling to Monitoring

7.4.3 Short-Term Data Collection for Model Implementation

7.4.4 Model-Accompanied Current Data Supply

7.4.5 Practical Recommendations for the Design

of Short-Term Data Collection

7.5 Assessment of Monitoring Results and Forms of Presentation

7.6 Final Remarks and Conclusions

References

7.1 INTRODUCTION

Monitoring is the application of fundamental scientific methods of observation of

the environment. As a modern tool of water management, monitoring is deeply

rooted in science. It is the assessment method of comprehensive determination of

the current state of environmental conditions. Monitoring measures are for descrip￾tion rather than prediction; however, monitoring data are used for various purposes,

including prediction scenarios/modeling.

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In contrast, modeling is a relatively new method rooted in engineering, especially

its modification as computer modeling, which aims to simulate the behavior and

response of water conditions to external and internal impacts. Monitoring is very

useful for making an environmental assessment, while modeling is applied for an

impact assessment. Modeling predicts trends and effects of future actions (see

Chapter 6 for details).

This chapter first discusses what monitoring is and describes its various aspects.

The relationships between monitoring and modeling as complementary tools for

current water quality management are presented.

7.1.1 DEFINITION OF ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING

Monitoring has been defined by the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP)

as “the process of repetitive observing for defined purposes, of one or more elements

of the environment, according to prearranged schedules in space and in time and

using comparable methodologies for environmental sensing and data collection.”1

Implicit in this definition are a number of points:

• The purposes for undertaking monitoring vary, but it is understood that

information is collected for a defined purpose, and not simply because it

is available.

• Information gathering is undertaken following a prearranged schedule,

which identifies frequency of sample collection, locations, and what infor￾mation is collected.

• Monitoring involves repetitive, continuous sampling, resulting in a series

of three-dimensional, cross-sectional, longitudinal, lateral, and temporal

data.

• Sampling, storage, preservation, and analysis must be done systematically,

utilizing compatible methodologies following rigorous procedures, to

ensure that information is comparable.

Monitoring is distinguished from data collection by its long-term, continuous

nature. Data collection efforts are sometimes referred to as short-term monitoring,

but it is important to maintain a distinction from monitoring, because monitoring

generally has different objectives than data collection.

Every environmental monitoring program should contain the following

components:

• Monitoring guidelines (for sample collection, storage, preservation, and

analysis)

• Quality assurance program (procedure of calibration and comparability

of results)

• Data formats (for preparing data and relevant information for a data bank)

• Data bank (for storage and processing of data)

Monitoring is usually followed by environmental assessment, which is an

indispensable step in decision making. Monitoring and research are very often

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