1.1. ABOUT THE BOOK
marine sessile organisms detailed information on growth velocities is often not present, there are often no time series available in which the growth
of a certain organ ism is followed for a long period, for instance a photographic registration. The creation of simulation models more or less forces
researchers to look systematically through all information available on the
growth process.
Simulation experiments can also be used to indicate interesting field or
laboratory experiments. In simulation models it may be possible to predict
certain changes in growth forms due to changes in external parameters and
this may lead to a series of focused field or laboratory experiments. Simulation
experiments may serve to study the underlying emergent behavior of the
system. Growth processes are typically examples of complex systems, and
such a system may be defined as a population of basic elements (for example
the corallites in stony corals, spicules in sponges, cells or meristems in algae)
which exhibit a certain interaction with each other. The population of these
basic elements shows a certain emergent behavior, the growth form, which
cannot be predicted from studying isolated individual elements. To obtain
insight into this emergent behavior, simulation models are needed.
Another option, to refrain from expensive and complicated laboratory
and field experiments and to restrict oneself to simulation experiments, is we
believe a very bad option. Losing the coupling between simulation models
and actual observations leads to a very empty non -biological world. At this
point we believe it is relevant to quote the physicist Alexander Polyakov (van
Klaveren and Verhoeven 1995), who worked on turbulence:
"History shows that science without experiments often tends to lose its
way. "
1.1 About the Book
In August 1999 we had the opportunity to organize a workshop entitled
"Modeling Growth and Form of Marine Sessile Organisms" at the National
Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis in Santa Barbara, California .
For this workshop, to our knowledge the first on this topic ever organized, we
invited scientists from a wide range of disciplines including developmental
biology, paleontology, ecology, computer science, physics, and mathematics,
who have research interests in modeling the development of stromatolites,
algae, sponges, octo corals, hydrozoans, and stony corals. The aim of this
workshop was to provide a state-of-the-art overview of modeling growth
and form of marine sessile organisms and also to get an overview of what
pieces of knowledge are still missing. One of the results of this workshop is
this book, where we have asked the participants to contribute sections which
correspond to their specific expertise.
In Chap. 2 we will zoom in on the marine physical environment (light
and hydrodynamics) and its impact on the growth of marine sessile organisms. In the second part of Chap. 2 more details about the biology of the
different organisms will be given, where we will focus on the organisms that
will be used as case studies in the simulations. In this part an overview will be
given of what is known about genetic regulation, the growth processes, and
morphological plasticity due to the influence of the physical environment.
13
marine sessile organisms detailed information on growth velocities is often not present, there are often no time series available in which the growth
of a certain organ ism is followed for a long period, for instance a photographic registration. The creation of simulation models more or less forces
researchers to look systematically through all information available on the
growth process.
Simulation experiments can also be used to indicate interesting field or
laboratory experiments. In simulation models it may be possible to predict
certain changes in growth forms due to changes in external parameters and
this may lead to a series of focused field or laboratory experiments. Simulation
experiments may serve to study the underlying emergent behavior of the
system. Growth processes are typically examples of complex systems, and
such a system may be defined as a population of basic elements (for example
the corallites in stony corals, spicules in sponges, cells or meristems in algae)
which exhibit a certain interaction with each other. The population of these
basic elements shows a certain emergent behavior, the growth form, which
cannot be predicted from studying isolated individual elements. To obtain
insight into this emergent behavior, simulation models are needed.
Another option, to refrain from expensive and complicated laboratory
and field experiments and to restrict oneself to simulation experiments, is we
believe a very bad option. Losing the coupling between simulation models
and actual observations leads to a very empty non -biological world. At this
point we believe it is relevant to quote the physicist Alexander Polyakov (van
Klaveren and Verhoeven 1995), who worked on turbulence:
"History shows that science without experiments often tends to lose its
way. "
1.1 About the Book
In August 1999 we had the opportunity to organize a workshop entitled
"Modeling Growth and Form of Marine Sessile Organisms" at the National
Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis in Santa Barbara, California .
For this workshop, to our knowledge the first on this topic ever organized, we
invited scientists from a wide range of disciplines including developmental
biology, paleontology, ecology, computer science, physics, and mathematics,
who have research interests in modeling the development of stromatolites,
algae, sponges, octo corals, hydrozoans, and stony corals. The aim of this
workshop was to provide a state-of-the-art overview of modeling growth
and form of marine sessile organisms and also to get an overview of what
pieces of knowledge are still missing. One of the results of this workshop is
this book, where we have asked the participants to contribute sections which
correspond to their specific expertise.
In Chap. 2 we will zoom in on the marine physical environment (light
and hydrodynamics) and its impact on the growth of marine sessile organisms. In the second part of Chap. 2 more details about the biology of the
different organisms will be given, where we will focus on the organisms that
will be used as case studies in the simulations. In this part an overview will be
given of what is known about genetic regulation, the growth processes, and
morphological plasticity due to the influence of the physical environment.
13