Investigation of Hydrodynamic and Behavioral Factors That Affect Zooplankton Sampling by Pumps

摘要

The present study used a recirculating hydraulic flume to examine the effects of ambient flow regimes, flow fields induced by sampling pumps, sampler orientation, and copepod behavior. The study evaluates the degree to which these factors and their interactions influence the accuracy of zooplankton density estimates. The methodology included a descriptive phase, which is a presentation of flow visualizations under a variety of ambient and pumping conditions. This was followed by quantitative experiments that tested the ability of pump samplers to obtain accurate density estimates of passive particles. Results of this study provide a greater understanding of problems associated with zooplankton sampling in power plant cooling systems and in natural waters.