The effect of unsteady turbulent flows on mass transfer in aquatic environments

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The objectives of the proposed research program are to examine the role of mass transport on fundamental biogeochemical and ecological processes using a combination of experimental, field, and computational approaches. Specifically, I will examine the influence of turbulence on nutrient uptake, suspension feeding/particle fate, and particle flux that occur in the benthos (sediments, macrophytes, bivalves) of aquatic systems. In doing so, I will examine the role of unsteady flow – including the fluid-structure interactions that cause organisms to oscillate – in addition to the influence of mean flow conditions on these processes. My specific objectives are to investigate/determine the: (1) fluid-macrophyte interactions and how turbulence-induced plant movements affect macrophyte productivity through the transport and uptake of dissolved inorganic carbon to the leaf surface where nutrient uptake occurs; (2) fate of particles (including biological ones) transported through beds of suspension feeding freshwater mussels; and (3) the effect of collector motion on particle capture, which is an essential mass transport mechanism. The fulfillment of these objectives relates directly to a better understanding of the productivity and function of aquatic environments.