Examples of ecotoxicological studies and associated monitoring may include:

Using marine and or estuarine organisms; brown shrimp (Crangon crangon), harbour ragworm (Hediste diversicolor) or suitable amphipod species in a range of dilutions, the toxicity of effluents may be assessed along with the likely impact to marine and estuarine fauna. In specific habitats other organisms may be used - e.g. crabs and lobster have been used in customised parlour pots to assess the effects of brine discharges of the Yorkshire coast.

Where the near and far field effects of a discharge on a range of species need to be assessed, the deployment of sentinel species may be appropriate.  Precision Marine Survey staff have significant expertise in the design and implementation of baseline characterisation studies and the long term monitoring of discharges.

Plume characterisation through dye-tracking and hydrodynamic modelling outputs, to ensure that sentinel species are positioned within the dispersion plume. PMSL staff have carried a number of such assessments.

Water quality evaluation using depth profiling to evaluate plume character though the water column and measure total excursion at different states of the tide. Such data may then be used to validate modelling outputs.