02 May 2013 at Kavalergården 13:00: The impact of small-scale fluid turbulence on phytoplankton nutrient uptake rates and community structure - CANCELLED
Presentation by Andrew Barton (Duke University, Durham NC): The impact of small-scale fluid turbulence on phytoplankton nutrient uptake rates and community structure
We examine the impact of small-scale fluid turbulence on phytoplankton nutrient uptake rates and community structure in an idealized community model where the traits describing each phytoplankton are constrained by their size. Turbulence on the organism scale enhances the flux of nutrients to the cell surface and subsequent nutrient uptake. This effect is most pronounced for large cells in turbulent conditions, and may thus help explain the survival of large phytoplankton in the ocean. The ecological imprint of this mechanism may be most pronounced in regions with low nutrient levels, robust grazer populations, and relatively strong or episodic inputs of turbulent kinetic energy, such as the subtropical ocean or post-bloom conditions at higher latitudes.