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NECCTON Report on integrated modelling of pollutants and single pressures D8.2
Summary
Scientists have built new computer models to track how pollutants like microplastics, mercury, and oil spills move through the ocean and affect marine life, along with tools to measure damage from fishing and climate change. This matters because these same pollutants can end up in the seafood we eat, so better tracking tools help researchers and policymakers monitor ocean health and protect both marine ecosystems and human food safety. This report focuses on the technical progress of building these models rather than new findings about health risks themselves.
Marine ecosystems are increasingly affected by pollutants and human-induced pressures, leading to significant environmental and ecological concerns. Deliverable 8.2 of the NECCTON project reports on advancements in WP8, on developing and improving models to assess the fate, transport, and impact of pollutants and anthropogenic stressors in marine environments. This report presents the methodologies and progress made in modeling microplastics, persistent organic pollutants (POPs), mercury, and oil spills, alongside assessments of fisheries pressure and climate-related stressors. Key outcomes include: • New modeling frameworks for pollutant transport and degradation, integrating hydrodynamic and biogeochemical processes. • Fisheries pressure model, evaluating bottom trawling effects on benthic organisms and habitat degradation. • Tool to address climate change stress • Model validation efforts, ensuring accuracy through comparisons with observational data, are addressed here but will be further evaluated and compared with those already in use by CMEMS and by other WPs in the next months. These developments contribute to NECCTON’s overarching goal of improving marine monitoring and prediction capabilities, supporting European and global environmental directives such as the EU Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).