Dispersive Characteristics of Ballast Water Exchanges off Newfoundland: A Model-Based Study

Dispersive characteristics of ballast water exchanges in the Newfoundland offshore were investigated based on a numerical ocean circulation model and a particle tracking model. The ocean circulation model was forced by wind, density and tidal forcing, and validated with in situ observations. The model monthly-mean wind-driven and density-driven circulation and the homogeneous horizontal diffusion were used in baseline particle dispersion simulations. The results of the baseline simulations were described and discussed, in relation to ecologically sensitive areas such as marine protected areas and coastal aquaculture sites. The present study also showed some evident impacts of the vertical turbulence, while the inclusion of the vertical current, the weather-band currents and the diel migration produced limited effects on horizontal dispersion patterns.