NEPTUNE · Numerical Experiments in Particle oceanic TUrbulence based on NEw computational and analytical perspectives

Marine microplastic pollution has emerged as a global environmental problem in recent years, presenting numerous challenges to ecosystems and human health. Microplastics originate from a variety of sources posing a threat to marine organisms and, ultimately, the food chain. In recent times, there has been a significant increase of research related to this topic from multiple angles. However, the fluid mechanics understanding of this problem in terms of distribution and aggregation of microplastics in ocean turbulence is still a topic in its infancy. The NEPTUNE project, thus, aims to provide new theoretical insights and computational tools with the final goal to better understand the problem and contribute to the European Mission “Restore our Oceans and Waters”. The project is designed to be very ambitious and highly interdisciplinary. Indeed, from a scientific perspective, the foundation upon which it is constructed consists of computational science, fundamentals of fluid mechanics and turbulence, physics-based modeling, and data science harnessed through advanced machine learning techniques. Each of these elements is designed to be pushed beyond the boundaries of the current state-of-the-art to yield novel scientific and technological insights that will drive socio-economic advancements. The project's primary goals encompass: (i) the extension of an advanced computational solver to simulate microparticles within ocean turbulence, in conjunction with various biophysical models, (ii) the better understanding of the distribution and aggregation of microparticles in turbulence, and (iii) pioneering the utilization of data-driven techniques to obtain reduced order models and unravel the intricate nonlinear behavior of microparticles in turbulent environments. In this regard, the candidate, through this fellowship, plans to boost his academic career by integrating top-tier research with training, dissemination and network-creation activities.