Impact of Swimmer Dynamics on Odor Transport by Mesoscale Swimmers in Turbulent Environments

Odor transport in fluidic environments is a subject of great importance, holding implications for numerous scientific disciplines, including fluid dynamics, biological studies, and engineering disciplines. Odor tracking serves as the foundation for various natural processes, such as the navigation of marine organisms and the foraging behavior of insects. Turbulent fluctuations add another level of complexity to the problem of odor transport in fluidic environments. 

The odor emitted by swimmers is not only influenced by the environment but also by hydrodynamic fluctuations caused by their dynamics. This effect is evident in large swimmers, where the wakes caused by their swimming dynamics could potentially alter odor distribution. However, it is much less clear whether and how hydrodynamic interactions affect the odor distribution of mesoscale swimmers. 

In this work, we explore the coupling of chemical and mechanical signals from mesoscale swimmers (Reynolds number <= 50), immersed in a turbulent open channel flow. We use a model system comprising a collection of swimmers in an open channel flow to explore the propagation and interaction of these signals. Furthermore, we vary their Reynolds numbers and evaluate the consequential changes in odor distribution. We show that the velocity fluctuations due to the swimmers play a significant role in changing the range and distribution of odor signals by screening the intensity and fluctuations of odor distribution downstream. We found substantial differences in odor screening depending on whether the swimmers are 'pushers' or 'pullers', the latter being more effective in screening their odor from predators. Our findings provide valuable insights into the coupling of mechanical and chemical signals of mesoscale swimmers in turbulence with novel considerations regarding the evolutionary preferences of specific swimming modes.