Larval Transport Modeling to Asses Thermal Exposure

Hydrothermal models are routinely used to assess the temperature effects of thermal discharges in rivers, lakes and estuaries.  Besides their use in calculating temperature distributions in receiving water bodies, model particle tracking options can also provide insight into the temperature effects and potential exposure mortality to drifting organisms (e.g., fish larvae).  The particle tracking model employed tracks the temperature exposure history for the released particles and coupled with a temperature-mortality exposure curve can provide an estimate of mortality.  In this manner, the biological effects of temperature exposure can be included more realistically into standard hydrothermal assessment through the use of coupled particle tracking models.