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The ocean is teeming with life: from microscopic plankton to large marine animals. All are influenced by environmental factors like ocean currents and temperature. These forces, combined with species-specific traits, such as size and swimming ability, determine how marine organisms move through their environment.

In this research, we use a virtual particle-tracking technique called Lagrangian modeling to simulate the movements of marine species in the ocean. Through three case studies, we explore (1) how ocean currents create localized interaction zones for plankton in the Benguela upwelling system, (2) how temperature constrains plankton connectivity across the Atlantic Ocean, and (3) when and where Kemp’s ridley turtles may have experienced hypothermic conditions before stranding on the Dutch coast.

As climate change warms the ocean, species may shift poleward. This alters ecological corridors and underscores the need for better data on species traits and improved transport behavior modeling.