Local Hydrodynamics of Benthic Marine Organisms

About this Research Topic

Background

Local hydrodynamics play a critical role in the mass transport and biological processes of branching and soft corals, benthic fauna and flora, and macroalgae. Although numerous quantitative studies have been performed on many aspects of the hydrodynamics of these marine organisms, detailed knowledge of local flow fields is incomplete. Currently, we depend on sometimes inaccurate empirical or semi-empirical models to describe these flows. Obtaining an accurate and detailed flow field is critical for understanding mass transport, nutrient or particulate capturing mechanisms, photosynthesis, locomotion, and other crucial physiological activities for these sub-individual-to-colony scale systems.

We encourage the submission of studies that use a variety of approaches to measure, model, estimate, and simulate the local flow fields from the individual to the colony scale using visualization techniques, experimental measurements, mathematical or numerical models near the small marine organisms. We are interested in hydrodynamic data, data-driven modeling, and developments toward critical parameterizations for models of flow quantities close to these marine geometries. Innovative experimental or computational techniques are necessary for the development of more precise flow field characterizations and mathematical models that bridge the gap between biological processes and local flow characteristics. Here, we invite submissions involving coral hydrodynamics and the hydrodynamics of small-scale fluid dynamics around other benthic organisms. Contributions may be in the form of original research papers, reviews, and methods papers.

Keywords: local hydrodynamics, benthic organisms, branching and soft corals, fluid dynamics, mass transport, biological processes, marine flora and fauna

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.

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