Expansion of facilities for larval ecology

Invertebrate organisms that live on the seafloor, such as sea stars, sea urchins, crabs, lobsters, clams and mussels, have complex life cycles. As adults, they live and feed on the seafloor, but they produce larvae which may spend from a few hours to months in the water column, being carried around by currents. After they mature, larvae move near the seafloor, attach to it and, following a sequence of morphological and physiological changes, turn into juveniles. These juveniles grow into reproductive adults. The number of new recruits that return to the adult populations will depend on the number of larvae that survive the period spent in the water column, migrate to the seafloor and transition successfully into juveniles. Although we understand the factors that affect survival of adults because of their relatively large size and accessibility of their habitat, we know less about larval and juvenile survival. Our research will focus on factors that influence larval and juvenile survival, as well as the transition between these life history stages. To address this objective we use field sampling, laboratory experiments and mathematical modeling, and focus on habitats ranging from the shallow subtidal to the deep sea. In the field, we will describe the physical environment (vertical gradients in temperature, salinity and chlorophyll) and collect samples at different depths to measure larval abundance in relation to these physical characteristics. In this proposal, we request funds to purchase an instrument that can measure conductivity, temperature and depth and provide the data in real time. We also request funds to purchase a microscope that will allow us to process our larval samples. Understanding the processes that occur at these early life history stages, as well as the linkages between stages, is important for the successful management of invertebrate species and fisheries, and the success of populations in marine protected areas.