Simulation of harmful algal blooms using a deterministic Lagrangian particle separation-based method

Abstract Algal blooms (red tide) are often observed in Hong Kong's coastal waters. These algal blooms can cause discoloration of the marine water, and may result in severe dissolved oxygen depletion and fish kills; most harmful algal blooms (HAB) are caused by diatoms and dinoflagellates. Diatoms are non-motile algae relying on water turbulence for suspension and nutrient supply. Dinoflagellates, on the other hand, can undergo diel vertical migration. At night, the algal cells swim down the water column to uptake nutrient and store it as internal nutrient reserve (cell quota). During daytime, they ascend to the water surface to carry out photosynthesis using the nutrient reserve. Diel vertical migration is an important adaptive strategy of dinoflagellates to form blooms in stratified waters. In this paper, the vertical migration behaviour of dinoflagellates is modelled using a simple deterministic Lagrangian model based on a NEighbourhood Separation Technique (NEST). The method is based on relative diffusion concepts, and simulates the diffusion process via an equivalent macroscopic motion; it uses far less number of particles than that required in random walk methods. The Lagrangian cell quota based algal dynamics is incorporated in a one-dimensional model to predict the vertical structure of water quality. Dinoflagellates are represented by a number of particles, with algal growth dependent on its nutrient reserve and the available light intensity. Swimming behaviour is simulated by the corresponding advective translocation of the particle. The model is applied to study species competition, resulting in a simple bloom prediction criterion based on nutrient availability and vertical diffusivity. In addition, the changes in water quality during an observed dinoflagellate bloom in Hong Kong coastal waters are well supported by field data; the role of stratification and diel vertical migration on the bloom formation and the signature of dissolved oxygen are discussed.