4. Conclusion<br>The model presented in this paper has a range of potential applications for farm-scale assessment of coastal and offshore shellfish aquaculture. Since FARM is a model directed both at the farmer and the regulator, the required inputs have been deliberately reduced to encourage usability. The integration of biological, production and economic functions with ASSETS, allowing eutrophication assessment using a subset of primary and secondary symptoms, means that FARM is effectively a screening model for shellfish productivity, economics and water quality. Growing emphasis on sustainability means that these components can no longer be dissociated. The model's simple interface hides complex internal processing, including transport equations, shellfish individual growth, popu- lation dynamics, dissolved oxygen balance, nitrogen mass balance, production functions and eutrophication assessment. Care must of course be taken in the application of FARM, as with any model, given the approximations that have been made. In particular (i) the model forcing is considered to be constant; (ii) turbulent mixing is not included; and (iii) there are a number of processes, such as fouling or predation, which are not presently simulated. An option for time-varying forcing will be added in the future, together with a component for harvesting, thereby allowing a more realistic assessment of farm-scale carrying capacity by incorpo- rating the removal of harvestable animals. The trade-off for increased realism is a greater requirement for input data and a potential reduction in usability.
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