Magnetic Signature of Vertically Migrating Aggregations in the Ocean

Abstract

Abstract The significance of fluid transport in the ocean due to migrating aggregations of zooplankton remains poorly understood due to practical challenges associated with predicting, identifying, and quantifying instances of enhanced biogenic mixing. We present a new approach to overcome these limitations by quantifying the biogenic transport via its distinct magnetic signatures. This present approach can be accomplished potentially without a priori knowledge of the precise location of the aggregation and without triggering animal avoidance caused by the introduction of instruments into the migration.

Keywords

• mixing in geophysical flows
• electromagnetism
• oceanography
• magnetometry