Modelling diatom growth in turbulent waters

Abstract

Algal models used as tools in the management of algal blooms may be inaccurate because representation of mixing processes is often oversimplified. A testable 3-D algal model for prediction of algal growth in turbulent surface waters was developed based on the Eulerian water quality model, HYDRO-3D. Out-door mesocosm experiments on the growth of the diatom Skeletonema costatum showed no evidence that diatom growth is significantly affected by light/dark fluctuations brought about by turbulent mixing, and no direct effects of turbulence on phytoplankton physiology were required in the algal model. The algal model was successfully calibrated and validated against mesocosm data and field data from Poplar Dock, London Docklands. Application of the model gave credible results for the hypothetical growth of S. costatum in Poplar Dock under a wide range of wind speeds and surface irradiances. However, differences between the results of a full 3-D simulation and a simplified 1-D representation of Poplar Dock were minimal, and no clear conclusions could be drawn on the superiority of 3-D models over 1-D models for simulation of complex flows in natural water bodies.