摘要：The increasingly growing world population and the contamination of rivers and coasts due to humanactivities have given rise to serious problems in the marine habitats. One of the most recent andchallenging issues involves harmful algal blooms also known as red tides. The algal blooms havegeographically spread in the entire coastal areas of the world, and the Iranian southern coast is noexception. However, any potential damage in coastal areas can be prevented by accurately predictingthe dispersion and advection of the blooming species. This study intended to examine the dispersionand advection of harmful algal cells through hydrodynamic modules MIKE 3-FM and ECO Lab, whichsimulated the hydrodynamics and quality of water, as well as the distribution of chlorophyll-a acrossthe southeast coast of Iran. After calibration of the model, the results of simulation were adequatelyconsistent with the measured data on variations of chlorophyll-a, i.e. the cause of algal bloom. In fact,the modelling was successful in simulation of currents across the Gulf of Oman in hydrodynamic andquality terms. The dispersion of Cochlodinium polykrikoides was first observed at mid-April 2009 inthe nearest station to the Strait of Hormuz. The bloom spreads toward eastern stations of Chabahar inmid-May and then persisted for two months. The results were consistent with those obtained throughsoftware modelling on the dispersion of chlorophyll-a, the major cause of algal bloom. Given that theGulf of Oman and the Persian Gulf are linked, the total tidal currents across the region were modelled.The results indicated that tidal currents tend to be stronger in the Persian Gulf than the Oman Sea.Additionally, the tidal range widens in the Persian Gulf, which can be associated with the lower depthof the Persian Gulf and its semi-enclosed environment. Given the results and the great eutrophicationpotential in southern coastal areas of Iran due to the disposal of municipal and industrial wastewater,the phytoplankton are expected to further disperse and concentrate, thus leading to greater algalbloom in the region. The validated model in this study can be employed to provide on-time warning andprevent any adverse social and economic consequences.
关键词：Harmful algal bloom;
Oman sea;
Chlorophyll-a;
Numerical modeling
