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Coral Photosynthesis Depth Profile: 2D Light-Attenuation Field

Interactive 2D depth-profile model of coral photosynthesis: sunlight attenuates through the water column by the Beer-Lambert law, driving the same Platt photosynthesis-irradiance curve as the 3D single-polyp model, plotted across depth instead of across a single polyp's surface.

Ecology & Conservation Biology2DModerate60 FPS📱 Mobile-adapted⇄ 3D version

Details

CategoryEcology & Conservation Biology

RenderingCanvas 2D

DifficultyModerate

Target FPS60

ControlsSliders for surface irradiance (PAR), water clarity (attenuation coefficient k), water temperature and symbiont density, a draggable probe-depth marker (on the water-column view or its slider) that reads local irradiance/O2 production/CZAR/calcification at any depth, and an auto day-cycle toggle that sweeps surface irradiance through a sinusoidal daylight curve.

coralSymbiodiniumphotosynthesiszooxanthellaecalcificationmarine ecologyBeer-Lambert lawlight attenuationdepth profile

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This is the 2D counterpart to the 3D coral-polyp photosynthesis-irradiance simulator, and it reaches the same physiology through a genuinely different, depth-resolved mechanism. Rather than watching one polyp's tissue up close, this version solves the Beer-Lambert light-attenuation law down an entire water column every frame, feeding the local irradiance at each depth into the same Platt P-I curve used by the 3D model. Drag the probe to any depth to see the local light dose, oxygen production, carbon translocation (CZAR) and light-enhanced calcification, and watch photon particles thin out with depth exactly as real sunlight does underwater, while a compensation-depth readout marks where photosynthesis can no longer outpace respiration.

⚙ Under the hood

Solve the Beer-Lambert light-attenuation law down an entire reef water column in real time and feed the local irradiance at every depth into the same Platt photosynthesis-irradiance curve as the 3D single-polyp model: drag a probe to any depth to read local light, O2 production, carbon translocation (CZAR) and light-enhanced calcification, and watch the compensation depth respond as water clarity and temperature change.

coralSymbiodiniumphotosynthesiszooxanthellaecalcificationmarine ecologyBeer-Lambert lawlight attenuationdepth profile

2D · HTML5 Canvas 2D · 60 FPS target · runs fully client-side, no install