Transport rate, as a scale complementary to commonly used transport timescales, is useful for quantifying local transport conditions in estuarine and coastal systems. A specific transport rate computed based on tracer release is highlighted for quantifying the local transport condition for long-standing autochthonous constituents originating from the system. The overall flushing capability of the constituents can be quantified by the material turnover time, an analog of turnover time, which can be conveniently computed using transport rate. The transport rate is computed in the James River, a tributary of Chesapeake Bay, U.S.A., which clearly describes the temporal and spatial variations of local transport conditions and provides an example to evaluate the contribution of physical transport to variations in phytoplankton biomass. The transport rate can also be used to diagnose the relative importance of physical transport against other environmental factors to the dynamics of reactive autochthonous constituents. Given the advantages, the transport rate provides an efficient tool for diagnosing local transport conditions modulating dynamics of autochthonous constituents in estuarine and coastal systems.

作为常用运输时间表的补充，运输速率可用于量化河口和沿海系统的当地运输条件。高亮显示了基于示踪剂释放量计算出的特定传输速率，用于量化源自系统的长期本地成分的本地传输条件。成分的整体冲洗能力可以通过物料周转时间（周转时间的类似物）来量化，可以使用运输速度方便地计算出周转时间。在美国切萨皮克湾的支流詹姆士河中计算运输速率，它清楚地描述了当地运输条件的时空变化，并提供了一个实例来评估物理运输对浮游植物生物量变化的贡献。运输速率还可以用于诊断物理运输相对于其他环境因素对反应性本地植物成分动力学的相对重要性。有了这些优点，运输速度为诊断当地运输条件提供了一种有效的工具，从而可以调节河口和沿海系统中土生土成分的动力学。