ORCID
- Yeaw Chu Lee: 0000-0002-0463-5586
Document Type
Article
Abstract
This study significantly advances previous attempts to model cold-water coral growth using Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics (SPH) by incorporating the finite nature of food availability, an important parameter in coral development. Building on the Goldilocks Principle, which states that coral polyps must surpass an energetic survival threshold to prosper, this model integrates food-based growth dynamics. The underlying SPH framework simulated fluid-coral interactions in which growth was promoted in optimal flow conditions and food-rich zones. Key innovations include dynamic energy reserves, where the energetic reserves of coral particles depend on food obtained from the surrounding fluid particles. Simulations reveal that higher food availability leads to larger, faster-growing colonies, although individual polyps tend to have shorter lifespans due to increased competition. The model highlights how colony expansion and resource competition influence long-term survival. These findings emphasise the importance of food availability in shaping coral morphology and resilience, providing a foundation for future studies on coral ecosystem responses to environmental stressors like ocean acidification. By bridging hydrodynamic and energetic constraints, this work offers a more holistic understanding of cold-water coral growth dynamics.
DOI Link
Publication Date
2026-09-08
Publication Title
Ecological Modelling
Volume
522
ISSN
0304-3800
Acceptance Date
2026-09-04
Deposit Date
2026-09-11
Funding
This work was supported by a Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) Doctoral Training Partnership (grant no NE/L002558/1) to KG, and Operation Wallacea. This work was supported by the Independent Research Fellowship from the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) to SH (NE/K009028/1 and NE/K009028/2).
Additional Links
Keywords
Desmophyllum pertusum, SPH, Coral growth dynamics, Goldilocks Principle, Cold-water corals
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Recommended Citation
Georgoulas, K., Hennige, S., Lee, Y., & Boulougouris, E. (2026) 'Modelling growth of the cold-water coral Desmophyllum pertusum according to food availability and the Goldilocks Principle', Ecological Modelling, 522. Available at: 10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2026.111834
