SERDP and ESTCP efforts are developing and demonstrating the science, models, tools, and methods needed to implement the concept of ecosystem-based management, in a manner that sustains ecological systems and the military mission, through the use of scientifically robust performance metrics. The preceding efforts include:

• Ecological, biogeochemical, and biophysical process models and associated decision support tools
• Coupled species-ecosystem models
• Ecological reference models
• Ecological assessment frameworks

The primary focus is on arid lands, coastal and estuarine ecosystems, Pacific Island ecosystems, coral reefs, and forest ecosystems (see Ecological Forestry).