Research Progress in Area 2 方向 ( 二 ) 課題進展 135 Abstract Marine pollution has the potential to significantly impact our livelihoods through affecting the health of our marine ecosystems. Identifying and predicting sources and locations of pollutants are important in mitigating the undesirable effects of marine pollution. The present research proposal considers the latter aspect, focusing on how the ocean circulation affects pollutant dispersion. This is achieved via transferring and adapting techniques that are well tested in the open ocean context to the coastal/regional context, to quantify the characteristics of the dispersion, and how such characteristics evolve with seasons and/or under climate change scenarios. Beyond the scientific part, the present work aims to develop the tools in order to access an untapped area of research that is complementary to the existing research expertise in the Greater Bay Area, and to provide the training for future researchers to tap into the under utilised technology that is numerical ocean modelling, in order to improve our overall understanding of the natural processes at play in the region. Research Activities and Progress • In the process of creating a bespoke numerical coastal model including the Pearl River estuary region and encompassing the Greater Bay Area; • Developed schemes of diagnosing Finite Time Lyapunov Exponents to quantify mixing; • Extended work into active tracers, in this case for nutrients, and investigating impacts on ecological activity under climate change scenarios. Key Findings • A numerical model is created for numerically studying the dispersion of plastics, to be probed with diagnoses of the Finite Time Lyapunov Exponents; • Nutrient upwelling severely decreased under climate change scenarios, through changes in the nutrient supply by circulation. Research Output Publication 1 Trained personnel 4 Probing Circulation Influences on Pollution Dispersion Prof. Julian Mak The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology Fig 1. Map of simulated salinity
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