Modelling phytoplankton acclimation, diversity, and evolution using agent-based models

Dr Bingzhang Chen, in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics at the University of Strathclyde is using ARCHIE-WeSt to investigate how phytoplankton acclimation and diversity affect primary production in the ocean. Marine phytoplankton is the major organism that contributes to absorbing CO2 from the atmosphere, however it is often oversimplified in the model. The project aims to develop an agent-based phytoplankton model that takes into account phytoplankton acclimation and trait diversity. This agent-based model is coupled with a Eulerian ecosystem model including nutrient, zooplankton, detritus fields and is driven by ocean eddy diffusivity. With this novel model, the project will address the bias of estimating primary production by conventional Eulerian ocean models and advance our understanding of how phytoplankton physiology and diversity affect primary production.

For more information about the project contact Dr Bingzhang Chen (bingzhang.chen@strath.ac.uk), Senior Lecturer at the Department of Mathematics and Statistics at the University of Strathclyde.

For a list of the research areas in which ARCHIE-WeSt users are active please click here.