An Experimental-Numerical Study of Small Scale Flow Interaction with Bioluminescent Plankton
Abstract
Numerical and experimental approaches were used to investigate the effects of quantified flow stimuli on bioluminescence sUmulatidn at the small length and time scales appropriate for individual plankton. Bioluminescence was used as a sensitive tool for examining essentially instantaneous organism response. Based on laboratory work with defined flow fields, a consistent picture of organism response emerges. There is a response threshold in laminar flow at a shear stress level of approximately 0.1 N m-2. Increasing shear stress levels lead to increased population response due to more organisms being stimulated, and to a lesser extent increases in the magnitude of the individual response, which is maximized in high laminar flow. Responsiveness is a function of shear stress, not the laminar or turbulent nature of the flow. The boundary layers of most moving objects of Naval interest contain stimulatory levels of shear stress. The present results indicate that their bioluminescence signature will depend on boundary layer thickness and the amount of flow separation. Project findings are relevant to the concerns of nighttime covert operations, and relate to recent interest in applying hyperspectral and multispectral technologies to ocean surveillance.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Sep 04, 1998
- Accession Number
- ADA353907
Entities
People
- Michael I. Latz
Organizations
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography