Models of harmful algal blooms

Models used to study harmful algal blooms are a subset of those used to examine more general planktonic processes. Most models have been heuristic, examining the likelihood of certain processes generating a harmful algal bloom. Several models have been more closely coupled to field data and have been used to gain insights into the dynamics underlying the observations. As better physical and biological models are developed, models may play an increasingly important role in harmful algal bloom research. Techniques such as data assimilation may increase the predictive power of models, suggest strategies for improving field sampling, and better constrain poorly known parameters and processes.