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Engineering and Materials Research Seminar Series

Emergence of phytoplankton patchiness at small scales in mild turbulence

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Seminars

As part of the School of Science and Technology's Engineering and Materials Research Seminar Series, Dr Marco Mazza presents: Emergence of phytoplankton patchiness at small scales in mild turbulence.

  • From: Wednesday 3 April 2019, 1 pm
  • To: Wednesday 3 April 2019, 2 pm
  • Location: 015, CELS, Nottingham Trent University, Clifton Campus, Clifton Lane, Nottingham, NG11 8NS
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Event details

As part of the School of Science and Technology's Engineering and Materials Research Seminar Series, Dr Marco Mazza, Loughborough University  presents: Emergence of phytoplankton patchiness at small scales in mild turbulence.

Abstract

Sailors have known for millennia that periodically the seas appear of unusual color and can even turn red.
These large swaths of colors stretching for tens or hundreds of km are caused by countless microscopic organisms called phytoplankton. These are microscopic algae that use sunlight to produce energy. They are the base of the marine food chain, and produce 50% or more of the oxygen in the atmosphere. Phytoplankton often encounter turbulence in their habitat.
The spatial distribution of motile phytoplankton cells exhibits patchiness at distances of decimeter to millimeter scale for numerous species with different motility strategies. The explanation of this general phenomenon
remains challenging. We combine particle simulations and continuum theory to study the emergence of patchiness in motile microorganisms in three dimensions, by including hydrodynamic cell-cell interactions, which grow more relevant as the density in the patches increases. By addressing the combined effects of motility, cell-cell interaction and turbulent flow conditions, we uncover a general mechanism: the coupling of cell-cell interactions to the turbulent dynamics favors the formation of dense patches.

All Welcome

Hosted by Dr Lucas Goehring and Dr Ian Shuttleworth

For any enquires please contact Dr Ian Shuttleworth

Location details

Room/Building:

015, CELS

Address:

Nottingham Trent University
Clifton Campus
Clifton Lane
 Nottingham
 NG11 8NS

Past event

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