The AED modules cover most aquatic biogeochemical processes including nutrient cycling, oxygen dynamics, sediment/soil biogeochemistry, vegetation, etc. Each module can work alone or combined with other modules, depending on the complexity of targeted system.

The current AED2 software is divided into 2 separate code-libraries : the first is the core AED2 library (libaed2) and the second is the advanced modules which are bundled together as AED2+ (libaed2-plus).

Currently there are 8 core modules in AED2, and 12 advanced modules in AED2+. For routine water quality assessments of lakes or estuaries, AED2 will suit most applications. For advanced users and researchers seeking to extend their simulation abilities, then AED2+ includes numerous advanced options.

Click on the below icons to learn more about each module.

AED2 core modules
	TRC: Tracers, Suspended Soilds and Retention Time	Modellers can use the aed_tracer to simulate a dissolved or particulate tracer (subject to transport processes only), or this can be optionally configured to account for decay, sedimentation and/or resuspension. This module also include an option to simulate water “retention time” where the water age increments once enters into the waterbody
	OXY: Dissolved Oxygen	Dissolved oxygen (DO) dynamics are able to be simulated, accounting for atmospheric exchange and sediment oxygen demand, and through links to other modules will account for microbial use during organic matter mineralisation and nitrification, photosynthetic oxygen production and respiratory oxygen consumption, and respiration by other optional biotic components
	NUT: Inorganic Nutrients	Modules exist for simulation of inorganic nutrients including phosphorus, nitrogen and silica. These modules provide basic nutrient cycling functionality and are designed to be linked with other modules (eg OGM, PHY) in order to provide a more comprehensive depiction of nutrient cycling.
	OGM: Organic Matter	Organic matter variables cover the C, N & P stored in the dissolved and particulate organic matter pools. This module optionally also supports depiction of “labile” vs “refractory” fractions of organic matter, including the breakdown and hydrolysis process, photo-degradation and mineralisation.
	PHY: Phytoplankton	Highly customisable phytoplankton module for simulating change in algae, cyano-bacteria and chl-a, including phytoplankton production/respiration, nutrient uptake, excretion, vertical movement (eg buoyancy control), and grazing effects. Benthic phytoplankton may also be optionally configured.
	ZOO: Zooplankton	Simulates different size classes of zooplankton, accounting for carbon and nutrient assimilation from grazing, carbon loss via respiration, excretion of DOM, faecal pellet production, mortality, and predation by larger organisms.
	TOT: Totals	A summary module, allowing users to “sum-up” component variables from other modules into a total, for example, to compute TN, TP or TSS.
	SDF: Sediment Flux	An interface module designed to provide spatially variable sediment flux settings to key modules (e.g., OXY, OGM, NUT), and/or link these variables to the dynamic sediment biogeochemistry model (SDG).
AED2+ water quality modules
	SDG: Sediment Biogeochemistry	Vertically resolved sediment diagenesis model for simulation of vertical profiles of sediment nutrient and geochemical conditions, and associated fluxes to the water column based on overlying water conditions.
	GEO: Aqueous Geochemistry	Aqueous geochemical model for simulating major ions, metals, pH, acidity/alkalinity and mineral precipitation/dissolution.
	ISO: Stable Isotopes	A new module for simulate the stable isotope dynamics of C and N, for comparing model predictions with observed del ratios.
	PTH: Pathogens	An advanced module for simulation of the kinetics and sedimentation/resuspension dynamics of pathogens and microbial indicator organisms, including protozoa, bacteria and viruses.
AED2+ benthic biology modules
	MAC: Benthic macrophytes	Simulates benthic habitat and/or growth of macrophytes such as seagrasses in specified sediment zones.
	MAG: Macroalgae	Simulates benthic macroalgal growth and sloughing/detachment of macroalgae and its subsequent redistribution within the domain.
	BIV: Bivalves	A model of one or more groups of benthic filter feeders, able to assimilate C, N and P and recycle filter material back to the water column and sediment.
	HAB: Habitat Quality	A high level module that returns habitat quality metrics based on underlying water condition attributes, for example, for seagrass or crab habitat suitability at different life stages.
AED2+ riparian ecohydrology modules
	LND: Land & Soil Hydrology	This module simulates the drying out of exposed cells, and the subsequent cell water table height and soil moisture.
	SBG: Soil Biogeochemistry	This module captures the C and N dynamics of exposed cells within the domain, for capturing C and N greenhouse gas fluxes and DOM leaching of riparian and/or floodplain cells after they have dried out.
	VEG: Riparian Vegetation	A module to simulate different vegetation functional groups for riparian species that may exist within or out of the main water domain, based on soil moisture and flooding dynamics.
	ASS: Acid Sulfate Soils	An advanced module to simulate the oxidation of pyritic sediment once it begins to dry and includes acid generation, neutralization and leaching of acidic pore water and groundwater to the water margin.