Pollution caused by marine oil spills can lead to persistent ecological disasters and severe social and economic damages. Numerical simulations are useful and essential tools for accurate decision making during emergencies and planning response actions. In this study, we applied the Princeton Ocean Model (POM) to determine current data, including seawater velocity, salinity, and temperature, and we obtained the fate and trajectory of spilled oil using OpenOil. Several probable oil slicks around Taiwan were simulated over time (12 months) and space (four spill locations in the marine area of each coastal city or county) using the model. The percentage risk under the effect of an oil spill is estimated. The risk zone of the coastal waters of Taiwan was identified based on the frequency of simulated oil slicks hitting the coast and sensitive resources. This information not only helps authorities guide the preparation of effective plans to minimise the impacts of oil spill incidents but could also be used to improve regulations related to shipping and vessel navigation in regional seas.

In this study, an integrated model is developed for studying the Sanchi oil spill event, which occurred in the East China Sea in January 2018. The results of the Advanced Research Weather Research and Forecasting model (WRF-ARW) as well as the Princeton Ocean Model (POM) are used for meteorological forecasting and the hydrodynamic simulations, respectively. These data are adopted as inputs for the OpenOil, a sub-module of OpenDrift, for the oil spill model. Some reference experiments are examined for short-term hindcast. The satellite image is used to validate the numerical result. The oil slicks of the satellite image and the numerical result are of similar shapes. Quantitatively, the simulated oil slick and that from the satellite image are located closely and have similar dimensions of 56 km by 34 km and 54 km by 29 km, respectively. It is found that the accurate results can be obtained by the proposed integrated model with the high-frequency (hourly) and high-spatial-resolution data as inputs, and the wind drift factor has to be added. The long-term 1-month simulation showed that most of the oil particles would move to the northeast of the sinking location and be trapped by the Kuroshio current.

The Southern Ca Mau Sub-region X, which is one of the 18 key irrigation sub-regions, has been equipped with a closed sluice system to support aquaculture development. The main objective of this study is to analyze and evaluate the current status and challenges in the management and operation of the sub-region’s irrigation system, aiming for an objective view of the existing problems. Despite significant investment, the system at the time of the study was still operating primarily based on experience, lacking standardized operating procedures. This has resulted in a failure to fully optimize the production potential for the local people. To address this issue, the study adopted a dual approach: a SWOT analysis was conducted to assess internal and external factors, combined with the use of the MIKE 11 hydrodynamic model to simulate alternative operational scenarios. The analysis results pointed out management weaknesses, particularly the lack of consistency in operation. The MIKE 11 simulation results indicated that Scenario KB5—controlling a main sluice cluster (PT3) along with the Bao Chau sluice—is the optimal strategy. This strategy achieves water level reduction efficiency comparable to broader control scenarios but is more economically effective and operationally feasible for years with average or low water levels. This research provides an important basis for developing adaptive operating procedures to ensure long-term sustainability for aquaculture development in the sub-region.