Nan-Qi Song

Hydrodynamic Behavior and the Effects of Water Pollution from Dalian’s Large-Scale Offshore Airport Island in Jinzhou Bay, China

China is developing a 21 km² artificial island to be used for an offshore airport in Dalian’s Jinzhou Bay, Bohai Sea. It is important to study the impacts on the marine environment of such a large-scale reclamation project. In this paper, a two-dimensional hydrodynamic model and an advection-diffusion water quality model are implemented to study the effects of the reclamation on the hydrodynamic behavior and pollution levels in Jinzhou Bay. Data from field observations performed in 2009 are used to calibrate and validate the models. The numerical models are also further validated by the hydrodynamic responses to a partial construction in 2012. Finally, the simulated results for the proposed full construction indicate that the creation of the offshore artificial island will greatly influence the near-field hydrodynamic characteristics. A mass of suspended sediments will be discharged, causing approximately 4.05 km² of seawater pollution. The conclusions of this study provide an important foundation for the Dalian offshore airport program, and they can be used as a reference for similar coastal engineering and marine environment protection programs.

Use of pollution risk and ecosystem service values in marine management strategies in Bohai Sea, China

ABSTRACT Different coastal areas possess different pollution risks and ecosystem service values. The management strategies in these areas also differ. With limited environmental funds available, it is necessary to conduct in-depth study of pollution risks and ecosystem service values for developing marine conservation and management strategies. This paper proposes a management method that combines marine pollution risks and ecosystem service values to identify the management priorities of different sites, which are used to determine the appropriate management strategies. The management priorities of different bays in Chinas Bohai Sea were determined, and management strategies were recommended. The method can be used to determine effective management strategies for oceans around the world, especially in developing countries with limited environmental protection funds.

Using satellite remote sensing and numerical modelling for the monitoring of suspended particulate matter concentration during reclamation construction at Dalian offshore airport in China

ABSTRACT In this study, remote sensing and numerical modelling were used to monitor the distribution of suspended particulate matter (SPM) concentrations induced by a reclamation construction of an offshore artificial island airport in China’s Bohai Sea. A hydrodynamic model and a water quality model were used to simulate the SPM diffusion under the actions of tides and currents. An artificial neural network (ANN) model was then developed based on HJ-1A/1B satellite and measured SPM concentrations. The obtained main results are as follows: (1) The dispersion area of SPM with a concentration higher than 10 mg/l obtained by the numerical model was approximately 105.15 km2; (2) The developed ANN model provided an excellent relationship between the measured and retrieved SPM concentrations, with R2 = 0.97 and mean relative error (MRE) of 30%, at the model validation phase; (3) The SPM distribution obtained by the numerical model showed a qualitatively similar pattern with that obtained by the ANN model, indicating the modelled SPM distribution was credible. Thus, when the distribution of SPM concentrations cannot be derived from the satellite images due to weather conditions, the numerical model can be used to simulate the SPM distribution in the sea area around the construction.