Predictive capability for particle capture in aquatic ecosystems

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This project investigates the fundamental fluid mechanics of particle capture, whereby suspended particles contact and adhere to a solid structure. This process is examined in productive and biodiverse ecosystems (such as coral reefs and seagrass meadows) whose health, productivity and propagation are directly controlled by particle capture. Existing formulations for particle capture are valid only under highly idealised conditions that are grossly unrepresentative of the complexity of ecosystem flows. The goal of this project is to use a coupled computational-experimental campaign to develop predictive capability for particle capture in ecosystems, where the flow can be turbulent and/or wave-dominated and the biological structures complex.