Carpets of actively bending cilia can exhibit self-organized metachronal coordination. Past research proposed synchronization by hydrodynamic coupling, but if such coupling is strong enough to overcome active phase noise had been addressed only for pairs of cilia. Using a multi-scale model calibrated by experimental cilia beat patterns, we find local multi-stability of wave modes. Yet, a single mode, corresponding to a dexioplectic wave, has predominant basin-of-attraction. Beyond a characteristic noise strength, we observe an abrupt loss of global synchronization even in finite systems.
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