Impacts on Coastal Ecology
Objectives
(1) Determine how effluent discharged from seawater desalination plants using reverse osmosis affects key organisms of the
California coastal ecosystem and the implications for ecosystem structure and function.
(2) Describe the spatial extent of the effect of effluent discharge and how it depends on discharge schemes and coastal
geology and oceanography.
(1) Determine how effluent discharged from seawater desalination plants using reverse osmosis affects key organisms of the
California coastal ecosystem and the implications for ecosystem structure and function.
(2) Describe the spatial extent of the effect of effluent discharge and how it depends on discharge schemes and coastal
geology and oceanography.
Methods
Parameters measured in the field
Laboratory based toxicity experiments
Using key local organisms and actual discharge effluent on ecologically relevant time scales, monitoring survival, appearance, willingness to feed, activity, weight gain/loss, growth rate, gonad development.
Geospatial analysis
Using ArcGIS, we interpolate data collected in situ to map spatial patterns of impacts.
- Temperature, Salinity, Oxygen, pH,
- Fluorescence, Turbidity
- Nutrients, Major and Trace metals
- Radionuclides (Rn, Ra).
- Dissolved and particulate organic matter
- Specific chemicals used at the plant in the desalination process (halogenated organics, polyphosphonates, cleaning detergents)
- Chlorophyll-a, bacterial numbers
- Phytoplankton and zooplankton abundance
- Benthic flora and fauna, infauna
Laboratory based toxicity experiments
Using key local organisms and actual discharge effluent on ecologically relevant time scales, monitoring survival, appearance, willingness to feed, activity, weight gain/loss, growth rate, gonad development.
Geospatial analysis
Using ArcGIS, we interpolate data collected in situ to map spatial patterns of impacts.