On phytoplankton aggregation: a view from an IBM approach

Authored by Alassane Bah, Saadi Nadjia El

Date Published: 2006

DOI: 10.1016/j.crvi.2006.05.004

Sponsors: No sponsors listed

Platforms: Smalltalk

Model Documentation: Other Narrative Flow charts Mathematical description

Model Code URLs: Model code not found

Abstract

In this paper, we build up an individual -based model (IBM) that describes the aggregative behavior in phytoplankton. The processes in play at the individual level (an individual = a phytoplankton cell) are: a random dispersal, a displacement due to the net effect of cells present in a suitable neighborhood (spatial interactions) and a branching (cell division and death). The IBM model provides a virtual world where phytoplankton cells appear to form clusters. Using this model, we explore the spatial structure of phytoplankton and present some numerical simulations that help the understanding of the aggregation phenomenon.
Tags
Simulations microorganisms Marine Particles Organisms Chemosensory responses Gymnodinium-fungiforme Nonlocal model Dinoflagellate Size spectra