Can Vertical Migrations of Dinoflagellates Explain Observed Bioluminescence Patterns During an Upwelling Event in Monterey Bay, California

摘要

UUVs surveys showed that bioluminescent dinoflagellates from the northern part of the Monterey Bay, CA were able to avoid advection by southward flowing currents along the entrance to the Bay. We investigate if modeling dinoflagellates' vertical swimming can explain the observed dinoflagellates' ability to avoid advection. Our modeling confirmed that observed bioluminescent dinoflagellates' avoidance of advection can be explained by their vertical swimming ability. In the case of swimming with 20m/day, (which is half of observed maximum swimming velocity) around 40% of dinoflagellates population from the northern part of the Bay were advected along the entrance to the Bay in comparison to the case without swimming. This is in agreement with the ratio of around 45% of observed mean bioluminescence intensity at the entrance to the Bay to the observed mean intensity in the northern part of the Bay.