Technion researchers have succeeded in demonstrating that the movement of krill and jellyfish in the water greatly assists ocean mixing \u2013 a process important for the ocean\u2019s ecological system. The mixing transfers non-organic food components from the lower layers of the water to the upper layers and enables the transfer of gases between the atmosphere and deep waters.<\/p>\n
Dr. Alexander Leshansky and Prof. Leonid Pismen of the Technion\u2019s Faculty of Chemical Engineering succeeded in demonstrating that the currents caused by movement of creatures such as shrimp and jellyfish substantially contributes to the process of mixing. They examined the movement from the perspective of hydrodynamics. Their work continued the research of Kakani Katija and John Dabiri, which was published in the scientific journal \u201cNature\u201d and emphasized that the currents induced by movement of these creatures has more effect than vortices whose source is in movement of larger marine creatures. The Technion researchers verified this hypothesis by examining the hydrodynamics of currents created by creatures moving by their own force as opposed to passively carried bodies. \u201cThe large number of floating swimmers compensates for their tiny size,\u201d the Technion researchers say. \u201cThis increase in carrying time in dense groups increases even more the efficiency of the bio-mixing. We compare analysis of the hydrodynamics of non-continuous swimming with mixing characteristics of the environment.\u201d<\/p>\n
Their research, which was published in the scientific journal \u201cPhysical Review\u201d, was highlighted in \u201cNature Physics.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"