1. A computer-implemented method for automatically generating a mesh for use in a coastal model, comprising: receiving boundary data of at least one boundary associated with a geographic area covered by the mesh, the boundary data having a spatial coordinate system associated therewith; receiving bathymetry data of a bathymetry associated with the geographic area covered by the mesh; receiving selections governing the generating of the mesh; automatically creating the mesh based on the boundary data, the bathymetry data, and the selections, the mesh having mesh element data of a plurality of initial mesh elements of the mesh, each of the initial mesh elements being associated with the geographic area in the mesh and having an initial size and an initial shape; automatically refining the mesh based on the bathymetry data and the selections, the refining step including changing at least one of the initial size and the initial shape of at least one of the plurality of the initial mesh elements based on the bathymetry data; automatically estimating a number of nodes in the mesh based on the selections; automatically determining a number of processors needed to generate the refined mesh based on the number of nodes and the selections; and automatically generating, by the processors, the refined mesh.