Trade-Offs of Chemotactic Foraging in Turbulent Water

• Published in: Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science) Vol. 338; no. 6107; pp. 675 - 679
• Main Authors: Taylor, John R., Stocker, Roman
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington, DC American Association for the Advancement of Science 02.11.2012; The American Association for the Advancement of Science
• Subjects: Algae; Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Bacteria; Bacterial Physiological Phenomena; Biogeochemistry; Biological and medical sciences; Cetacea; Chemical oceanography; Chemotaxis; Climate change; Computer Simulation; Cost efficiency; Dissolved organic matter; Ecosystem; Foraging; forests; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Geochemical cycles; Geochemistry; Marine; Microbial ecology; Microbial Interactions; Microenvironments; Microorganisms; Movement; Nutrient uptake; nutrients; Oceans; Plankton; Sea water; Seawater - microbiology; sharks; Speed; Swimming; Turbulence; turbulent flow; Various environments (extraatmospheric space, air, water); Water Movements; whales; Marine environment; Locomotion; Turbulence; Motility; Energetic cost; Environmental factor; Chemotaxis; Microbial community

Bacteria play an indispensable role in marine biogeochemistry by recycling dissolved organic matter. Motile species can exploit small, ephemeral solute patches through chemotaxis and thereby gain a fitness advantage over nonmotile competitors. This competition occurs in a turbulent environment yet t...