Abstract
During settlement, planktonic larvae may actively select habitats, they may be passively deposited onto the seabed, or both processes may apply, but for different spatial or temporal scales or for different flow regimes. Proposing realistic settlement scenerios involving both passive deposition and active habitat selection can profit from a priori analyses of near-bed flow characteristics relative to known aspects of larval biology (i.e., swim speeds and fall velocities). Toward this end, smooth-turbulent velocity profiles were calculated for everyday tidal flows at a shallow subtidal study site, where continuous near-bed flow measurements were available. Velocity profiles were constructed for a realistic range of flow conditions. Rough-turbulent flow profiles also were calculated, assuming storm waves periodically are sufficient to resuspend sediments and make a rippled seabed. Under most flow conditions analyzed, mean flow speeds exceed maximum larval swim speeds, even to within tenths of millimeters from the bed. In the smooth-turbulent flows, larvae generally would encounter no opposed velocity if they swam vertically in the viscous sublayer, to heights of about 0.25-cm above the bed. In rough-turbulent flows, eddies regularly penetrate to within tenths of millimeters of the bed, so larvae would experience eddy velocities with components in all directions very close to the bed. It is concluded that, at least at this study site, larvae probably do not search for preferred habitats by horizontal swimming. Larvae may swim vertically down to test the substrate and then swim vertically up to be advected downstream. However, it also is noted that measured larval swim speeds and fall velocities are about the same order-of-magnitude, so at best, larvae may only be able to maintain position when swimming vertically.
บทคัดย่อDuring settlement, planktonic larvae may actively select habitats, they may be passively deposited onto the seabed, or both processes may apply, but for different spatial or temporal scales or for different flow regimes. Proposing realistic settlement scenerios involving both passive deposition and active habitat selection can profit from a priori analyses of near-bed flow characteristics relative to known aspects of larval biology (i.e., swim speeds and fall velocities). Toward this end, smooth-turbulent velocity profiles were calculated for everyday tidal flows at a shallow subtidal study site, where continuous near-bed flow measurements were available. Velocity profiles were constructed for a realistic range of flow conditions. Rough-turbulent flow profiles also were calculated, assuming storm waves periodically are sufficient to resuspend sediments and make a rippled seabed. Under most flow conditions analyzed, mean flow speeds exceed maximum larval swim speeds, even to within tenths of millimeters from the bed. In the smooth-turbulent flows, larvae generally would encounter no opposed velocity if they swam vertically in the viscous sublayer, to heights of about 0.25-cm above the bed. In rough-turbulent flows, eddies regularly penetrate to within tenths of millimeters of the bed, so larvae would experience eddy velocities with components in all directions very close to the bed. It is concluded that, at least at this study site, larvae probably do not search for preferred habitats by horizontal swimming. Larvae may swim vertically down to test the substrate and then swim vertically up to be advected downstream. However, it also is noted that measured larval swim speeds and fall velocities are about the same order-of-magnitude, so at best, larvae may only be able to maintain position when swimming vertically.
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