Staying the course: chemical signal spatial properties and concentration mediate cross-stream motion in turbulent plumes

Abstract

SUMMARY

The spatial and temporal patterns of odors sampled by lobsters and crabs in a turbulent plume

“…Odor concentrations sampled by the legs increase as an animal nears an odor source (Fig.15), whereas they decrease for antennules (Fig.8); thus, leg olfactory sensors should become more important in locating the source when an animal is very near to it. We found striking differences in the concentrations encountered by leg sensors at the edge vs the centerline of a plume (Fig.15), and behavioral studies have shown that asymmetry of odor concentrations sampled by the right and left legs affects the movements of crabs transverse to an odor plume (Jackson et al, 2007;Dickman et al, 2009;Page et al, 2011b).…”

“…PLIF studies like ours that compare instantaneous odor sampling by olfactory organs with different designs and kinematics, coupled with PLIF studies of animal behaviors in response to encountered odors (Mead et al, 2003;Jackson et al, 2007;Dickman et al, 2009;Page et al, 2011a;Page et al, 2011b) can not only shed light on the cues animals use to find the sources of odors in turbulent natural habitats and provide templates for realistic patterns of odor delivery for use in neurobiological experiments but also provide insights for the design of chemical sensors and odor-tracking algorithms for manmade vehicles. …”

“…Both lobsters and crabs have olfactory sensors on their walking legs that are important in cross-stream motion and odor source location [P. argus (Garm et al, 2005); H. americanus (Grasso and Basil, 2002); C. sapidus (Keller et al, 2003;Jackson et al, 2007;Dickman et al, 2009;Page et al, 2011b)]. Leg sensors are located closer to the substratum than antennules, and therefore are likely to encounter a different odor landscape when navigating in a plume.…”

“…The spatial and temporal structure of odor concentrations encountered by animals moving in a plume can offer information about the location of the odor source (e.g. Moore and Crimaldi, 2004;Koehl, 2006;Webster and Weissburg, 2001;Page et al, 2011a;Page et al, 2011b) if the animals are able to sample that concentration structure. However, which aspects of the information in an odor plume are used by animals to locate the source are still largely unknown ).…”

One rhinophore likely provides sufficient sensory input for odour-based navigation by the nudibranch mollusc,Tritonia diomedea

“…Given adequate integration time, chemotaxis might be used for both finding odour plume midlines and the direction of the odour source along the midline (Ferner and Weissburg, 2005;Webster and Weissburg, 2001;Wilson and Weissburg, 2012). A third strategy, plume edge following, has similar dependence on the number of sensory inputs because it relies on chemotaxis to find the location of the plume edge through bilateral spatial comparisons of widely spaced sensors (Page et al, 2011;Weissburg et al, 2002). Thus, the differing consequences of single versus paired odour sensory inputs imply that by manipulating the sensory organs we can gain insight into which strategies are used by the slugs during navigation.…”