We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
Mechanisms and Ecology of Suspended-Particle Capture in Marine Systems
Summary
This review synthesizes the fundamental hydrodynamic and biological mechanisms governing suspended-particle capture in marine systems, examining how contact mechanics and adhesion processes underlie animal feeding, larval settlement, seagrass pollination, microplastic fate, and sediment deposition across diverse marine contexts.
The movements of water and suspended particles (inert or alive) are among the most fundamental dynamical aspects of oceans, underlying numerous biological, physical, chemical, and geological processes. The mechanisms by which particles make contact with and adhere to surfaces are major determinants of animal feeding, trophic interactions, larval and propagule settlement, seagrass pollination, viral infection, microbe-mineral interaction, fates of microplastics, particle aggregation, sediment deposition, and more. Research in all these areas is united by the need to understand fundamental aspects of hydrodynamics and particle dynamics that drive contact of particles with surfaces or with each other, and factors that constrain the net capture of particles. Suspended particle capture is a rich, interdisciplinary field of study, drawing on fluid and particle dynamics, filtration theory, cell and animal behaviour, surface chemistry, and modelling and experimentation with marine organisms.