Hydrodynamics of aquatic ecosystems and biomimetics

Vladimir Nikora, Stuart Cameron, Mark Stewart, Dominic van der A

This is an interdisciplinary research area which captures elements of aquatic ecology, biomechanics and environmental fluid mechanics. The groups work is centred around the physical interaction between flow and organisms, across multiple scales, and covers a broad range of scenarios including: the interaction between flow and aquatic vegetation; the ecological impact of marine renewable energy infrastructure on fish behaviour and the development of improved methods for measuring freshwater fish hydrodynamics and bioenergetics. This research is largely experimental in nature, combining extensive laboratory studies with in-situ field studies. The field studies are conducted within local river networks and make use of a world leading stereoscopic field PIV system, developed in-house by Dr Cameron. Emerging themes in this area also include the study of microplastic transport within coastal and freshwater systems and the biomimetics of fish skin roughness.

Recent External Projects:

2023-2027	The interaction of waves with seaweed farms: wave attenuation and intra-farm hydrodynamics, NERC funded SUPER-DTP PhD studentship (D. van der A, T. O'Donoghue), with external collaborators Adam Hughers (SAMS), Sinead Sheridan (NatureScot), Rory O'Hara Murray (Marine Directorate)
2020-2023	RIver flow regulation, fish BEhaviour and Status (RIBES), EC, Marie Skłodowska-Curie Innovative Training Networks H2020-MSCA-ITN-2019 (V. Nikora, S. Cameron, B. Scott, S. Martin, €305K), a part of a collaborative international research program led by the Politecnico Di Torino.
2019-2020	Field stereoscopic particle image velocimetry (FSPIV) system for high-resolution in-situ studies of freshwater and marine ecosystems, NERC, UK (S. Cameron, V. Nikora, B. Scott, C. Soulsby, £289K).
2019-2020	High-resolution force measurement for wave-vegetation interaction research, Royal Society Research Grant, UK (van der A, D., £19.9k).
2018-2019	Sediment transport in vegetated canopies under full-scale wave conditions, Carnegie Trust Research Incentive Grant, UK (van der A, D., £7.1k)
2013-2016	Hydrodynamic transport in ecologically critical heterogeneous interfaces (HYTECH), EC, Marie Curie Initial Training Networks FP7-PEOPLE-2012-ITN (V. Nikora, S. Cameron, C. Gibbins, €597K), a part of a collaborative international research program led by the University of Padova.
2008-2011	Biophysics of flow-plants interactions in aquatic systems, The Leverhulme Trust, UK (V. Nikora, M. O'Hare, S. Cameron, £216.4K).

Recent PhD Projects:

2020 - present	Miriam Castagna	Hydrodynamics of swimming fish: Drag, propulsion, and fish bioenergetics
2017 - present	Muhammad Yunan Fahmi	Cross-shore wave hydrondynamics on a vegetated slope
2017	Dr Mario Savio	Turbulent structure and transport processes in open-channel flows with patchy-vegetated beds
2017	Dr Hamish Biggs	Flow-vegetation interactions: from the plant to the patch mosaic scale
2017	Dr Shaun Fraser	Acoustic investigation of the hydrodynamics and ecology of a tidal channel and the impacts of a marine renewable energy installation
2016	Dr Davide Vettori	Hydrodynamic performance of seaweed farms: an experimental study at seaweed blade scale
2012	Dr Fabio Siniscalchi	Hydrodynamics of flow-vegetation interactions at the scales of individual plant and plant patch

Selected papers

Neshamar, O., Jacobsen, N.G, van der A, D.A., O'Donoghue, T. (in press). Linear and nonlinear frequency-domain modelling of oscillatory flow over submerged canopies, Journal of Hydaulic Research.
Vettori, D., & Nikora, V. (2019). Flow-seaweed interactions of Saccharina latissima at a blade scale: turbulence, drag force, and blade dynamics. Aquatic Sciences, 81(4), 1-16.
Jacobsen, N.G., McFall, B., van der A, D.A. (2019). A frequency distributed dissipation model for canopies. Coastal Engineering, 150, 135-146.
Vettori, D., & Nikora, V. (2018). Flow–seaweed interactions: a laboratory study using blade models. Environmental Fluid Mechanics, 18(3), 611-636.
Fraser, S., Nikora, V., Williamson, B. J., & Scott, B. E. (2017). Hydrodynamic impacts of a marine renewable energy installation on the benthic boundary layer in a tidal channel. Energy Procedia, 125, 250-259.
Fraser, S., Williamson, B., Scott, B. E., & Nikora, V. (2016). Active acoustic monitoring in extreme turbulence around marine renewable energy devices. The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 139(4), 2174-2174.
Miler, O., Albayrak, I., Nikora, V., & O’Hare, M. (2014). Biomechanical properties and morphological characteristics of lake and river plants: implications for adaptations to flow conditions. Aquatic sciences, 76(4), 465-481.
Cameron, S. M., Nikora, V. I., Albayrak, I., Miler, O., Stewart, M., & Siniscalchi, F. (2013). Interactions between aquatic plants and turbulent flow: a field study using stereoscopic PIV. Journal of Fluid Mechanics, 732, 345-372.
Nikora, N., Nikora, V., O'Donoghue, T. (2013). Velocity profiles in vegetated open-channel flows: combined effects of multiple mechanisms, Journal of Hydraulic Engineering, 139(10), 1021-1032.
Siniscalchi, F., & Nikora, V. (2013). Dynamic reconfiguration of aquatic plants and its interrelations with upstream turbulence and drag forces. Journal of Hydraulic Research, 51(1), 46-55.