This paper discusses the importance of coastal desalination plants, as well as their environmental impacts, specifically impacts to marine life. In this paper, the environmental impacts are explained with a focus on salinity increase in the discharge body of water, which can lead to adverse impacts on the marine life. The potential techniques for mitigation are explored using a case study on Tampa Bay's desalination plant. The method employed in this paper was a literature review. The main results show that the salinity in the brine reject will increase the salinity in the discharging body of water. The increased salinity can have a negative impact on the marine life in the discharging body of water; therefore, mitigation techniques need to be utilized to reduce the salinity increase. The environmental impacts of desalination plants need to be considered during the planning phase of a new desalination plant to try to eliminate potential impacts from actually occurring.
