Biophysical interactions in the plankton: A cross‐scale review

Abstract

Lay AbstractThe study of plankton ecology is by nature interdisciplinary, since both biology and physics interact to shape plankton distributions and population dynamics. Small‐scale turbulence affects how plankton feed and grow, while kilometer‐scale physical features can form large plankton patches. Recent findings also show that, in addition to physics affecting plankton dynamics, plankton may be able to influence ocean physics as well. For example, the fluid motion produced from a copepod swimming in pursuit of food can be detected by nearby organisms and might make it more vulnerable to its predators. The field of plankton biophysics has advanced rapidly in the past several decades, due in large part to technological advances that allow the study of interactions between fluid flow and plankton in their natural environment at smaller scales than ever before. Biophysical interactions in plankton ecology can occur at a wide range of scales: from the scale of individual organisms up to the scale of the world's oceans. In this article, we review biophysical interactions in plankton across a wide range of scales, focusing on the most recent research in the field. In addition, we discuss how these processes are linked with other processes that occur at smaller and larger scales. For example, plankton patches formed by ocean eddies can provide feeding grounds for other organisms, thus influencing global ocean food web dynamics. Finally, we discuss some of the potential effects of long‐term changes in global climate, which will affect ocean temperature and stratification, thus regulating the occurrence and intensity of biophysical plankton processes.