Identification of geographic zones of influence associated with surface circulation for Aquaculture Bay Management Area application

Aquaculture Bay Management Areas have been implemented as part of measures which help ensure sustainable aquaculture activities in the Coast of Bays region of Newfoundland and Labrador. Their implementation requires a good understanding of the water connectivity in the region in order to estimate the zones of influence around each farm. Current observations from drifter experiments and Acoustic Doppler Current Profilers (ADCP) deployed in the region, together with output of a circulation model forced with tides at the open boundary and wind at the surface were used to compute particles movement occurring in the surface layer. The analysis of the current data provides information which helps define Management Areas in the region of study associated with water circulation. Three management areas were consistently identified with the different types of data used for the analysis in the Coast of Bays region. Given the differences in the temporal and spatial coverage of the data considered in the analysis, we also discuss the benefits and limitations of using these different types of observations and model outputs in estimating the zones of influence.