A computer model system for marine pollutant impact assessment: Potentials for coastal state use

Abstract

A system of numerical models has been created to assess the impacts of oil spills and other pollutant events on commercially important fish and shellfish species. The model system is composed of four components: a pollutant transport and fate model, a three dimensional hydrodynamic model, an egg and larval transport model and a fishery population model with both spatial and temporal dynamics. Examples of the application of the model of interest to state government include oil refinery siting and impact assessment for continental shelf hydrocarbon exploration.