PARR-2010-M-08
Dye dispersion study to characterize how sea lice bath treatments disperse from salmon farm cage sites in southwest New Brunswick

This dye dispersion study builds on a similar study from the early 1990’s.  The project’s main objectives are to estimate therapeutant/dye transport and dispersal patterns from the release site using current meters and drifters, a flume tank study to examine the effect of net cages on water flow under control conditions, and a field study looking for differences between zooplankton species composition and abundance within and outside the dye/therapeutant plume.  Dye concentration, drifter and current turbulence data will be used to estimate near surface in situ rates of vertical and horizontal diffusion within and downstream of the salmon cage sites.  The results of these studies will provide additional science-based data to inform environmental risk assessments.

Principal investigator:  Fred H. Page, DFO, St. Andrews Biological Station, 531 Brandy Cove Rd, St Andrews, NB E5B 2H7; Tel: (506) 529-5935; Email: Fred.Page@dfo-mpo.gc.ca

One-year project (2010/11)
Related project: PARR-2011-M-03