Movies 1: Scalar Plume Dispersion (unidirectional flow case)
The rapid expansion of marine aquaculture is a potential solution to the problem of overfishing
and fisheries depletion worldwide, but also a major threat to ocean ecosystems. One of the most widely cited
but poorly quantified impacts of open netpen aquaculture is its release of nutrients and other wastes to the surrounding environment
(Naylor and Burke 2005). In the United States there is considerable pressure on state and federal agencies to regulate the growth
and mitigate the impacts of aquaculture operations in coastal waters (Naylor 2006).
The goal of this study is to develop a highly-resolved numerical modeling tool that will allow
the user to predict the impact of a particular aquaculture operation on water quality in a coastal environment.
In particular, we seek to answer the questions: Where and in what concentrations will the dissolved waste
from aquaculture pens located in near-shore and off-shore environments be found, and what will the impact be on water quality?
Results
Movie 1 depicts the dispersion of a scalar plume emanating from a porous obstacle under unidirectional flow from left to right.
Movies 1: Scalar Plume Dispersion (unidirectional flow case)
Movie 2 shows the dispersion of a scalar plume emanating from a porous obstacle for a combined unidirectional and oscillatory flow. The spreading effect in the lateral direction due to the contraction of the plume due to the tidal oscillations can be observed in this simulation.
