Dispersal of Deep-Sea Larvae from the Intra-American Seas: Simulations of Trajectories using Ocean Models

Abstract

Using data on ocean circulation with a Lagrangian larval transport model, we modeled the potential dispersal distances for seven species of bathyal invertebrates whose durations of larval life have been estimated from laboratory rearing, MOCNESS plankton sampling, spawning times, and recruitment. Species associated with methane seeps in the Gulf of Mexico and/or Barbados included the bivalve "Bathymodiolus" childressi, the gastropod Bathynerita naticoidea, the siboglinid polychaete tube worm Lamellibrachia luymesi, and the asteroid Sclerasterias tanneri. Non-seep species included the echinoids Cidaris blakei and Stylocidaris lineata from sedimented slopes in the Bahamas and the wood-dwelling sipunculan Phascolosoma turnerae, found in Barbados, the Bahamas, and the Gulf of Mexico. Durations of the planktonic larval stages ranged from 3 weeks in lecithotrophic tubeworms to more than 2 years in planktotrophic starfish. Planktotrophic sipunculan larvae from the northern Gulf of Mexico were capable of reaching the mid-Atlantic off Newfoundland, a distance of more than 3000 km, during a 7- to 14-month drifting period, but the proportion retained in the Gulf of Mexico varied significantly among years. Larvae drifting in the upper water column often had longer median dispersal distances than larvae drifting for the same amount of time below the permanent thermocline, although the shapes of the distance-frequency curves varied with depth only in the species with the longest larval trajectories. Even species drifting for >2 years did not cross the ocean in the North Atlantic Drift.

Biophysical and Population Genetic Models Predict the Presence of “Phantom” Stepping Stones Connecting Mid-Atlantic Ridge Vent Ecosystems

“…Closer spacing of MPAs would allow species to disperse across areas devastated by mining and reach a new protected zone, and larger MPAs would promote sustainability of populations within the conservation area. Recent biophysical models for deepsea larvae in the Gulf of Mexico and western Pacific showed that dispersal distance is significantly correlated to PLD, which would make species with short larval periods particularly Table S5. vulnerable to human impact [36], unless sufficiently large MPAs are in place. In contrast to the MAR, at the East Pacific Rise, propagule flux models showed that the number of exchanged migrants decreased logarithmically with increasing traveling time due to periodic current reversals along the ridge axis [37].…”

Finding the ‘lost years’ in green turtles: insights from ocean circulation models and genetic analysis

“…This approach can be applied to numerous questions ranging from the direction and distance of dispersal in deep-sea invertebrate larvae [5,32], to the duration of drift between suitable habitats for rafting communities associated with macroalgae [33]. Given the limited information on organisms in the open sea (e.g.…”

Larval Behavior and Longevity in the Cold-Water Coral Lophelia pertusa Indicate Potential for Long Distance Dispersal

“…These long living larvae feed and grow in the water column where they might reside for more than a year allowing them to take advantage of faster surface currents that can facilitate long-distance dispersal. Young et al (2012) used physical oceanographic data to model the dispersal of these two species (the mussel "Bathymodiolus" childressi and the gastropod Bathynerita naticoidea) and showed that ontogenetic vertical migration increased the maximum dispersal distance compared to if larvae would reside in deeper waters. Since both the current direction and velocity normally differ with depth (Sponaugle et al, 2002), knowledge of the position of larvae in the water column is crucial for more accurate biophysical modeling of larval dispersal in a specific area.…”