Coral Reef Populations.
Larval Trajectories
Image courtesy of Ana Vaz. Download larger version (jpg, 1.7 MB).

Figure 1. Mesophotic to Shallow Reef Connectivity: Larval trajectories for bicolor damselfish (Stegastes partitus) spawning at Pulley Ridge are shown in three dimensions. These trajectories depict the spawning events that generated high settlement pulses of larvae to the Lower Florida Keys (A & B), and to the Dry Tortugas (C & D). The events were identified by spectral analysis of successful settlement of larvae in the model and were found to be modulated by the oceanography (passage of the Loop Current, the proximity of the Florida Current) and the biology (spawning time and ontogenetic migration of the bicolor damselfish larvae). They are highlighted (magenta ellipse) in figure 3 showing the daily settlement of larvae from Pulley Ridge to the Florida Keys.

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