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Abstract Output from a high-resolution numerical model is used to study near-surface transport in and around Cape Cod Bay using a Lagrangian approach. Key questions include the following: What are the dominant transport pathways? How do they vary in time on seasonal-to-interannual scales? What is the role of wind in driving this variability? Application to a possible release of wastewater into Cape Cod Bay from the recently closed Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station is discussed. Analysis reveals a seasonality in Cape Cod Bay transport patterns, with shorter residence times throughout the bay and an increased probability of outflow waters exiting the bay during spring and summer. Wind-induced Ekman currents are identified as a dominant driver of this variability. Significance StatementThis study is motivated by a possible release of radioisotope-contaminated wastewater into Cape Cod Bay, a region important to fishing, aquaculture, and tourist industries. The specific aim is to better understand near-surface transport patterns and mechanisms in Cape Cod Bay both in general and within the context of a wastewater release from Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station.