No abstract

[1] Measurements of suspended sediment volume concentrations, particle size and number density are routinely collected in marine and fresh-water environments with LISST-100X instruments to understand sediment transport, biological processes and fundamental opto-acoustic problems. A LISST-100X was simultaneously deployed with a novel holographic camera (holocam) in UK coastal waters to assess the performance of the laser diffraction technique when measuring natural suspensions. Volume distributions from the LISST-100X, truncated to exclude non-overlapping size bins with the holocam, exhibit an increase in small particles and median particle size is elevated in comparison to the holocam by 20-40%. We observe positive offsets between LISST-100X and holocam number distributions of up to 2 orders of magnitude for particle sizes between 58-218 mm, with discrepancies rising to 4 orders of magnitude for finer and coarser sizes. To explain these differences, a novel multiscale representation of particle size is used. The method quantifies individual dimensions that make up any two-dimensional geometrical structure, it can be used as a metric for particle complexity, and offers a plausible explanation for an apparent increase in small particles (<58 mm) reported by the LISST-100X. The results suggest that for non-spherical natural suspensions the LISST-100X may be sensitive to optical scattering from sub-scales within larger particles, reporting them as individual particles regardless of the way in which they may be packaged into particles of larger overall size. We urge caution in over interpretation of LISST size distributions obtained in natural suspensions without verification with independent particle imaging.

The Convention on Biological Diversity mandates the establishment of Marine Protected Area (MPA) networks worldwide, with recommendations stating the importance of 'ecological coherence' (a responsibility to support and perpetuate the existing ecosystem) implying the need to sustain population connectivity. While recommendations exist for integrating connectivity data into MPA planning, little advice exists on how to assess the connectivity of existing networks. This study makes use of recently observed larval characteristics and freely available models to demonstrate how such an assessment could be undertaken. The cold water coral (CWC) Lophelia pertusa (Linnaeus, 1758) is used as a model species, as much of the NE Atlantic MPA network has been designated for CWC reef protection, but the ecological coherence of the network has yet to be assessed. Simulations are run for different behavioural null models allowing a comparison of 'passive' (current driven) and 'active' (currents + vertical migration) dispersal, while an average prediction is used for MPA assessment. This model suggests that the network may support widespread larval exchange and has good local retention rates but still has room for improvement. The best performing MPAs were large and central to the network facilitating transport across local dispersal barriers. On average, passive and active dispersal simulations gave statistically similar results, providing encouragement to future local dispersal assessments where active characteristics are unknown.

Substantial information can be gained from digital in-line holography of marine particles, eliminating depth-of-field and focusing errors associated with standard lens-based imaging methods. However, for the technique to reach its full potential in oceanographic research, fully unsupervised (automated) methods are required for focusing, segmentation, sizing, and classification of particles. These computational challenges are the subject of this paper, in which the authors draw upon data collected using a variety of holographic systems developed at Plymouth University, United Kingdom, from a significant range of particle types, sizes, and shapes. A new method for noise reduction in reconstructed planes is found to be successful in aiding particle segmentation and sizing. The performance of an automated routine for deriving particle characteristics (and subsequent size distributions) is evaluated against equivalent size metrics obtained by a trained operative measuring grain axes on screen. The unsupervised method is found to be reliable, despite some errors resulting from oversegmentation of particles. A simple unsupervised particle classification system is developed and is capable of successfully differentiating sand grains, bubbles, and diatoms from within the surfzone. Avoiding miscounting bubbles and biological particles as sand grains enables more accurate estimates of sand concentrations and is especially important in deployments of particle monitoring instrumentation in aerated water. Perhaps the greatest potential for further development in the computational aspects of particle holography is in the area of unsupervised particle classification. The simple method proposed here provides a foundation upon which further development could lead to reliable identification of more complex particle populations, such as those containing phytoplankton, zooplankton, flocculated cohesive sediments, and oil droplets.

Biophysical models are well-used tools for predicting the dispersal of marine larvae. Larval behavior has been shown to influence dispersal, but how to incorporate behavior effectively within dispersal models remains a challenge. Mechanisms of behavior are often derived from laboratory-based studies and therefore, may not reflect behavior in situ. Here, using state-of-the-art models, we explore the movements that larvae must undertake to achieve the vertical distribution patterns observed in nature. Results suggest that behaviors are not consistent with those described under the tidally synchronized vertical migration (TVM) hypothesis. Instead, we show (i) a need for swimming speed and direction to vary over the tidal cycle and (ii) that, in some instances, larval swimming cannot explain observed vertical patterns. We argue that current methods of behavioral parameterization are limited in their capacity to replicate in situ observations of vertical distribution, which may cause dispersal error to propagate over time, due to advective differences over depth and demonstrate an alternative to laboratory-based behavioral parameterization that encompasses the range of environmental cues that may be acting on planktic organisms.