The idea that small swimming organism could change the circulation in the oceans is intuitively appealing. And yet the conclusion in a newly published Science article is no: Their movements do not cause enough mixing to alter the ocean's circulation.
Does bio mixing, the action of swimming organisms in mixing the worlds oceans, results in significant mixing of the water column? Can schools of paddling small organisms stir cold deep water upward thus contributing to global circulation and climate?
These were the questions Dr. André Visser, Technical University of Denmark, Danish Institute for Fisheries Research, decided to challenge. With the use of mathematical modelling combined with physical sciences, he investigated the matter. His conclusion is: “That whatever means one approaches the calculation of bio mixing the oceans, one will always be confronted by the fact that the mixing efficiency of small organisms is extremely low”.
The model and its conclusions are published in Science Magazine vol. 316, May 2007.
For further information please contact: Dr. André Visser, +45 33 96 34 25, e-mail: awv@difres.dk