Event Title
Modelling long-term multi-species impacts from oil spill scenarios using Salish Sea Atlantis
Streaming Media
Presentation Abstract
The Salish Sea is a major transportation route for oil between Canada and the USA. Continued oil transportation leads to concerns about the impact of spills on the surrounding ecosystem. Short-term impacts of oiling are more apparent and heavily studied, but the long-term effects of oil contamination throughout the ecosystem are not well known. A Salish Sea Atlantis whole-ecosystem model has been developed that allows us to explore the effects of contaminants on future trophic interactions. We used Atlantis, forced with time-series fields of water currents, temperature and salinity from the SalishSeaCast NEMO Model, to examine the impact of oil spills on key flora and fauna within the region. In collaboration with the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), here we present the results of specific oil spill scenarios developed in conjunction with the Department of Fisheries & Oceans Canada (DFO-Pacific) and Transport Canada. We focus on the potential long-term impacts of point source hydrocarbon contamination throughout the food chain. This includes groups of primary producers such as phytoplankton and seagrass, important fish species including salmon, as well as large mammals.
Session Title
Oil Spills and Road-based Contaminants
Conference Track
SSE10: Contaminants
Conference Name
Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference (2022 : Online)
Document Type
Event
SSEC Identifier
SSE-traditionals-76
Start Date
27-4-2022 11:30 AM
End Date
27-4-2022 1:00 PM
Rights
Copying of this document in whole or in part is allowable only for scholarly purposes. It is understood, however, that any copying or publication of this document for commercial purposes, or for financial gain, shall not be allowed without the author's written permission.
Type
Text
Language
English
Modelling long-term multi-species impacts from oil spill scenarios using Salish Sea Atlantis
The Salish Sea is a major transportation route for oil between Canada and the USA. Continued oil transportation leads to concerns about the impact of spills on the surrounding ecosystem. Short-term impacts of oiling are more apparent and heavily studied, but the long-term effects of oil contamination throughout the ecosystem are not well known. A Salish Sea Atlantis whole-ecosystem model has been developed that allows us to explore the effects of contaminants on future trophic interactions. We used Atlantis, forced with time-series fields of water currents, temperature and salinity from the SalishSeaCast NEMO Model, to examine the impact of oil spills on key flora and fauna within the region. In collaboration with the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), here we present the results of specific oil spill scenarios developed in conjunction with the Department of Fisheries & Oceans Canada (DFO-Pacific) and Transport Canada. We focus on the potential long-term impacts of point source hydrocarbon contamination throughout the food chain. This includes groups of primary producers such as phytoplankton and seagrass, important fish species including salmon, as well as large mammals.
