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Updated: May 24, 2026
10:11
The Benthic Exchange of O2, N2 and Dissolved Nutrients Using Small Core Incubations
Published on: August 3, 2016
Biogenic inputs to ocean mixing.
1Applied Ocean Physics and Engineering, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, MA 02543, USA. kakani@whoi.edu
The Journal of Experimental Biology
|February 24, 2012
Summary
Marine animals may significantly contribute to ocean mixing, comparable to winds and tides. Further research is needed to confirm the impact of biogenic mixing by organisms like copepods and krill.
Area of Science:
- Oceanography
- Marine Biology
- Fluid Dynamics
Background:
- Biogenic fluid disturbances are increasingly recognized as potential contributors to ocean mixing.
- Estimates suggest biogenic inputs may rival winds and tides in their impact on ocean mixing.
- Conclusive evidence requires integrating marine organism behavior, mixing mechanisms, and physical oceanography.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of marine organisms in ocean mixing.
- To understand the mechanisms by which animals influence fluid transport.
- To identify key marine organisms with the potential for significant biogenic mixing.
Main Methods:
- Review of theoretical, numerical, and experimental studies on biogenic mixing.
- Analysis of marine organism behavior, including swimming dynamics, abundance, and migration.
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Main Results:
- Biogenic mixing is a complex phenomenon influenced by organism behavior, morphology, and swimming dynamics.
- Diel vertical migrators in stratified waters, particularly the upper pycnocline, are key targets for study.
- Copepods, krill, gelatinous zooplankton, and fish are identified as potential significant sources of biogenic mixing.
Conclusions:
- Biogenic mixing is a plausible and potentially significant factor in ocean mixing dynamics.
- Focusing on diel vertical migrators offers a promising avenue for future research.
- Understanding animal-specific traits is crucial for quantifying their contribution to ocean mixing.