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Flow inside a coral colony measured using magnetic resonance velocimetry
Author(s) -
Chang Sandy,
Elkins Chris,
Alley Marcus,
Eaton John,
Monismitha Stephen
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
limnology and oceanography
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.7
H-Index - 197
eISSN - 1939-5590
pISSN - 0024-3590
DOI - 10.4319/lo.2009.54.5.1819
Subject(s) - coral , stylophora pistillata , velocimetry , flow (mathematics) , flow visualization , flow velocity , geology , physics , materials science , mechanics , geometry , oceanography , mathematics
The velocity field within scale models of branching coral Stylophora pistillata colonies was measured using magnetic resonance velocimetry (MRV). The models were based on digital representations of real coral skeletons derived using X‐ray computed tomography (CT) and constructed using rapid‐prototype manufacturing. Two morphologies of S. pistillata from the Red Sea grown in different flow regimes were used. To simplify visualization of the data, velocities were parsed into a series of spherical shells, giving the velocity distributions as functions of distance from coral center for both morphologies. The low‐flow morphology distributed flow velocity relatively evenly throughout the interior. In contrast, the high‐flow morphology showed a wider range of velocities with regions of flow channeling and flow stagnation.