Turbulence avoidance and the wind-driven transport of plankton in the surface Ekman layer
Abstract
Observations of turbulence avoidance in zooplankton are compared to estimates of the wind-driven turbulence in the upper ocean. Plankton that avoid wind-driven turbulence by moving deeper are no longer transported by the wind-driven Ekman currents near the surface because they are no longer near the surface. Here, a threshold level of turbulence that triggers an avoidance response is estimated, and is used to infer the wind speed and water column stratification conditions that would lead to zooplankton leaving the Ekman layer. Turbulence avoidance is argued to lead to near-shore retention in wind-driven upwelling systems, and to a reduction of the delivery of zooplankton to Georges Bank from the deeper waters of the Gulf of Maine. (c) 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Department
Earth Sciences
Publication Date
3-1-2007
Journal Title
Continental Shelf Research
Publisher
PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
10.1016/j.csr.2006.11.011
Document Type
Article
Recommended Citation
Pringle, James M., "Turbulence avoidance and the wind-driven transport of plankton in the surface Ekman layer" (2007). Continental Shelf Research. 17.
https://scholars.unh.edu/earthsci_facpub/17
Rights
Copyright 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved