Experimental Marine Microcosm Test Protocol and Support Document. Measurement ofthe Ecological Effects, Fate and Transport of Chemicals in a Site-Specific Marine Ecosystem (Revised)

摘要

The Microcosm Test Protocol described is designed to overcome many of theconcerns associated with environmental assessments based upon existing simple (single species and processes) test systems. Specifically, undisturbed, natural pelagic and benthic communities are coupled within a single system whose physical (e.g., temperature, water turnover, water turbulence, etc.) and chemical (e.g., salinity, oxygen, sediment pore water, etc.) conditions simulate those in the natural system. The ability to simulate a natural ecosystem, demonstrated by comparing the experimental controls to the field, provides data that are far more applicable to predictive environmental and ecological assessments than those derived from more simple tests.