Abstract |
Attempts to obtain field data for risk assessment of contaminants released into marine/estuarine systems can be complicated by a number of interrelated factors such as: complex circulation and mixing patterns, diverse stratification forces. Tests conducted in simulated ecosystems are subject to constraints that restrict the effect of physical forces, limit physical scale of the test, and introduce biases from chemical partitioning and processing along the walls of the test system. These constraints restrict broad application of test results as a model of dynamic marine systems. Through selected examples from literature and ongoing studies, authors illustrate how contaminant effects are studied at the individual, population, and community level in the field and/or in simulated ecosystems, such as mesocosms. |