A lattice Boltzmann-based model of plankton–flow interaction around a mussel cluster

We present a new modelling approach for assessing the interplay between marine mussels and their environment, as a first step towards identifying optimal aquaculture structures. The lattice Boltzmann (LB) method can accommodate the complex geometry of mussel clusters. We have developed this hydrodynamic model to incorporate the individual and cluster geometry of mussels, the dynamics of phytoplankton concentration (the mussel food supply) and the filtration of water by the mussels, in order to quantify the relationship between the arrangement of the mussels and the spatial distribution of phytoplankton concentration. Results are given on the effect that orientation of the cluster to the flow has on drag force, and we show statistics of phytoplankton uptake for various mussel configurations. It is found that the optimal configuration is generally independent of diffusive conditions, and that the effects of local clustering are consistently adverse.