International events, such as the UN Summit in Johannesburg (2002) and the Third World Water Forum in Kyoto (2003), re-emphasized the importance of meeting the difficult challenges related to the sustainable development of water and environment. There is a demand for direct action on improving water resources management and conserving natural resources, stressing the essential role of information and communication technologies in knowledge sharing and technology transfer. Artificial intelligence techniques are explored in this PhD research, deriving knowledge and rules from in-situ and remote sensing measurements. The Cellular Automata modelling paradigm is investigated with respect to characteristics of ecosystem simulation. Case studies included the Taihu Lake, China and Dutch coastal waters.