So this process re-introduces the brine back into the ocean, in turn making the ocean water more salty. What type of ecological ramifications does this have on the wildlife in that area?
This is pretty much the most pressing concern in any desalination effort.. Intakes and discharges are expensive in general, but to adequately dilute a brine discharge is on the order of 5x the cost of the intake system. You basically need miles of pipe into the ocean that split off like a fan in order to not significantly disrupt nearby ecosystems.
The volume of water being drawn from and the volume of evaporation, precipitation and runoff affecting that body of water, dwarf this desalination plant by an exceedingly long way.
It's not the overall volume of slightly saltier water, it's the hot, concentrated brine that's damaging. Most systems are designed today such that the brine is only ~50% more salty than incoming water and only a few degrees warmer, but it's still a significant ecological issue.