A conceptual model of contaminant transport in coastal marine systems

In any management strategy designed to protect the marine environment and human health from the effects of waste disposal, the prediction of the transport and fate of contaminants is essential. Most work so far has treated wastes as passive, dissolved contaminants but this can be far from reality. This paper presents a conceptual model to describe the transport and fate of a range of contaminants in coastal marine systems. Also presented is a description of the components of the conceptual model and a discussion of how effects models influence the choice of a dispersion-transport model appropriate to particular applications.