title: Assessment of susceptibility to pollution in littoral waters using the concept of recovery time.
abstract: Susceptibility to pollution can be related to the flushing capacity of aquatic systems. Transport time scales constitute a useful tool for representing the water exchange and transport processes. A new transport time scale, recovery time, and a methodology to estimate it by means of numerical models is hereby developed. Recovery time, calculated in Gijon, Santander and Tarragona harbours, is significantly related to physical, chemical and biological water quality indicators. Susceptibility, assessed through recovery time values, provides spatial patterns of expected flushing capacity, being sensitive to physical and hydrodynamic characteristics. The developed method is appropriate to estimate recovery time and assess susceptibility against pollution in littoral waters having great potential to be applied to different disciplines. Recovery time could be used in littoral waters as a surrogate of water quality indicators, to establish efficient monitoring programs, to define and characterize modified water bodies or to improve the design of marine infrastructures.
authors.affiliation: Environmental Hydraulics Institute "IH Cantabria", Universidad de Cantabria, C/Isabel Torres No. 15, Parque Científico y Tecnológico de Cantabria, 39011 Santander, Spain. Electronic address: aina.gomez@unican.es.
authors.forename: Aina G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Gómez
authors.affiliation: Environmental Hydraulics Institute "IH Cantabria", Universidad de Cantabria, C/Isabel Torres No. 15, Parque Científico y Tecnológico de Cantabria, 39011 Santander, Spain. Electronic address: juanesj@unican.es.
authors.forename: José A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Juanes
authors.affiliation: Environmental Hydraulics Institute "IH Cantabria", Universidad de Cantabria, C/Isabel Torres No. 15, Parque Científico y Tecnológico de Cantabria, 39011 Santander, Spain. Electronic address: ondiviela@unican.es.
authors.forename: Bárbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ondiviela
authors.affiliation: Universidad de Cantabria, E.T.S.I. Caminos Canales y Puertos, Avda. de los Castros, s/n, 39005 Santander, Spain. Electronic address: revillaj@unican.es.
authors.forename: José A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Revilla
mesh_terms: D003247:Conservation of Natural Resources; D017753:Ecosystem; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D009792:Oceans and Seas; D013997:Time Factors; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000737:chemistry*; D014876:Water Pollution / Q000032:analysis / Q000517:prevention & control*
chemical_list: D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical
keywords: Harbours; Modelling; Recovery time; Susceptibility; Transport time scale; Water quality