Daan Reid

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Contact

Phone : +31(0)50 3638779

E-mail : d.a.p.reid (AT: rug.nl)

Room : B 013/014

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Project: Hydrodynamics and self-organised schools of agents

Fish schooling can be imitated well by computer models using simple rules for agents' behaviour. However, these models assume point-shaped agents, while real fish come in a variety of sizes and shapes. Furthermore, they ignore their environment, whereas body shape and size influence an agent's interaction with its environment. For example eel leave different wakes than pollack. This interaction goes in two directions: it has been shown both that fish leave vortices in the water, and that fish will exploit vortices to increase their swimming efficiency. This suggests that hydrodynamics have a strong effect on school structure, and in fact a theory predicts that a diamond-shaped lattice is the optimal structure for fish to school in.

To study this, an individual-based computer model will be used, implementing both bodies and hydrodynamics. Results will be compared with experimental data obtained by the Marine Biology department.

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