Competizione per la luce in una popolazione di fitoplancton

Phytoplankton is a fundamental resource, producing at least half of the oxygen on the planet. In specific conditions, it can be harmful, causing the so-called "red tides" and contaminating water. It is thus important to understand the mechanisms which regulate its growth. This thesis focuses on the role of fluid dynamics in the formation of "blooms" of phytoplankton. Implementing the reaction dynamics of the phytoplankton, a one-dimensional stochastic model is developed to explore different conditions. A simulation of the Navier-Stokes equations is then used to describe in more detail the dynamics of bloom formation.