Université de Montréal
M.Sc. candidate
Supervisor: Christopher Cameron
Start: 2024-09-02

Project

Soft coral flexibility: its impact on hydrodynamic loads, feeding and a way to measure flow velocity
Soft corals exhibit dynamic movements in response to ocean waves and eddies. Notably, they experience vortex-induced vibrations as they interact with vortices shed in their wake. Unraveling this complex fluid- structure interaction is essential for quantifying the hydrodynamic stresses they endure, as well as for understanding their filter feeding mechanics. In an era of increasing hurricane frequency and coral reef upheavals due to climate changes, soft corals exhibit relative success at adapting to changing environments. We seek to understand the role of their flexibility or “softness” in this success. This interdisciplinary endeavour involves collaboration among mechanical engineers, biologists, and ecologists, with three objectives: (1) Characterize flexibility effects on hydrodynamic loading and feeding efficiency in soft corals; (2) Explore the behaviour of polyps in whole-colony motions and fluid-structure interactions; (3) Develop an innovative image-based flow velocity measurement technique using coral motion.

Keywords

corail mou, Octocorallia, Alimentation par filtration, vibrations induites par tourbillons, interaction fluide-structure