Models organize our current understanding, accelerate knowledge discovery, help estimate impacts of alternative futures, and should be continuously updated as knowledge and policy questions change. This workshop explored how models could be advanced more rapidly to inform and supplement monitoring programs, accelerate knowledge discovery, and communicate results to agencies and those responsible for making management decisions affecting large estuarine systems.  The concept of a Collaboratory is proposed that comprises physical space, a virtual network and a structure that draws together interdisciplinary scientists and stakeholder experts from across organizations and geographic areas to tackle identified problems.