On the biogenic hydrodynamic transport of upward and downward cruising copepods

TL;DR

This study investigates how copepods' vertical migrations influence biogenic hydrodynamic transport, combining laboratory experiments and modeling to understand their role in oceanic carbon and nutrient redistribution.

Contribution

It provides new insights into the flow fields and transport mechanisms of copepods during vertical migrations, integrating experimental data with a continuum model to assess their ecological impact.

Findings

Downward swimming speeds exceed upward speeds

Flow fields show direction-dependent characteristics

Stratification and organism weight constrain transport efficiency

Abstract

Mesozooplankton aggregations undergoing vertical migrations in the upper ocean have been hypothesized to have an important role in the redistribution of carbon, nutrients, and oxygen via biogenic hydrodynamic transport (BHT). While laboratory studies have demonstrated how swarm-induced hydrodynamic instabilities can drive large-scale transport in strongly stratified environments, measurements are usually performed with model organisms that differ in morphology and swimming mode from ecologically relevant marine species. To bridge this gap, we conducted experiments with copepods and analyzed upward and downward trajectories to identify differences in flow fields, force distribution, and BHT for these two scenarios. Using two-dimensional bright-field Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV), we quantified the near-body velocity field and found that the average downward swimming speed significantly exceeds the average upward swimming speed, with the flow fields exhibiting direction-dependent characteristics. We incorporated these findings into a continuum squirmer model to estimate the swimmer-induced drift volume and mixing efficiency, focusing on the effects of the reduced gravity of the swimmers and the density stratification of the surrounding fluid. Our simulations reveal that both the excess weight of the organisms and the fluid stratification strongly constrain the net BHT. This study provides a critical step toward integrating lab-based models of marine mesozooplankton with remote sensing data to incorporate vertical migrations into global ocean models with realistic biogeochemistry and assess their ecological significance in actively sustaining local ecosystems.