PARENT SESSION
Poster Session # 2: Statistical Ecology and Ecological Modeling.
Monday, August 4 Presentation from 5:00 PM to 6:30 PM. SITCC Exhibit Hall B.
Modeling the fate and effects of pollutants in estuarine ecosystems with AQUATOX.
Park, Richard*,1, Clough, Jonathan2, 1 Eco Modeling, Diamondhead, MS, USA2 Warren Pinnacle Consulting Inc., Warren, VT, USA
ABSTRACT- AQUATOX is a process-based, time-varying, fate and effects simulation model that integrates aquatic ecology, chemical dynamics, bioaccumulation, and ecotoxicology. AQUATOX can be used to predict not only the environmental fate of nutrients, pesticides, and other chemicals in aquatic ecosystems, but also their simultaneous direct and indirect effects on organisms. AQUATOX provides Latin hypercube uncertainty analysis for any and all loadings and chemical and biotic parameters. Results are given in tabular and graphical forms, including concentrations, rates, mass balances, and probabilistic risk graphs. The model has been peer reviewed and released for use by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. It has been validated for a variety of environments including lakes, reservoirs, small streams, and rivers. Recently an estuarine version was developed and tested. Application to Galveston Bay TX exemplifies the effects of eutrophication, turbidity, detrital input from wetlands, and toxic organic chemicals on water quality and commercial fisheries, and bioaccumulation of toxicants in commercial fish and sea gulls.
Key words: estuary, ecotoxicology, model, risk