Direct numerical simulations of a group of mesoscale swimmers immersed in turbulence, showing how their swimming dynamics reshape the odor plume they release and reduce their detectability by predators ('olfactory shielding'). Swimmer-induced velocity fluctuations and circulation widen the plume at close range but speed up dilution farther out, cutting detections beyond ~10 group sizes. Puller-type swimmers shield better than pushers -- traced to source-region dynamics where pushers trap odor at the source while pullers dilute it -- and the effect strengthens at weak turbulent Reynolds number and large swimmer Reynolds number, suggesting olfactory shielding as a driver of swimming-mode evolution.
Direct numerical simulations of a group of mesoscale swimmers immersed in a turbulent flow, showing how their swimming dynamics reshape the odor plume they release and thereby reduce their detectabil…