Learning Material

Hydrodynamics

This deals with the flow of water around an organisms, and can include (depending on the organism) laminar and turbulent flow, and diffusion boundary layer thickness. Water motion affects the delivery of nutrients and diffusion of gasses to and from the surface of organisms. Since motion around small organisms depends on viscosity, and viscosity decreases with warming, changes to water viscosity will affect processes such as larval swimming, filter feeding, diffusion of essential dissolved nutrients and gasses and the removal of waste products from those organisms. There are very few studies on responses to changes in water flow around organisms in the context of ocean change biology.

Physical and chemical interactions with other drivers: Changes in temperature affect water motion by changing water viscosity.

 

References and resources