Lagrangian dispersion in sheared flow

Closed-form expressions are presented for mean and covariance of positions, and for the important case of model-data misfit. The analysis is extended to include plankton parcels - mass and position - for parcels moving within a spatially variable growth rate, originating for example in a temperature gradient. The solutions support the interpretation of Lagrangian displacement data in the presence of shear; evaluating Lagrangian misfit with simulation results; and the use of individual-based models in spatially explicit applications.