La Tour du Valat

Institut de recherche pour la conservation des zones humides méditerranéennes

Titre :	Ingress of Brachyuran Crab Post-larvae to the Newport River Estuary
Auteurs :	Matthew B. Ogburn, Auteur ; Richard B. Forward, Auteur
Type de document :	Article
Dans :	Estuaries and Coasts (32(2) MAR 2009)
Article en page(s) :	309-318
Résumé :	Planktonic larvae of estuarine species often develop in the coastal ocean and return to estuaries using favorable currents. This study investigated spatial distributions of brachyuran crab post-larvae during ingress to the Newport River estuary, North Carolina, USA (34A degrees 41' N, 76A degrees 40' W). Nearshore plankton tows were conducted across the inlet to the estuary. Settlement on passive 'hog's hair' collectors was simultaneously monitored in each of four estuarine channels. Callinectes sapidus density was highest east of the inlet, whereas relative estuarine abundance was higher in western channels. In separate sampling with collectors at coastal and estuarine locations, spatial distributions of post-larvae were consistent through time but differed for C. sapidus, Uca spp., and Pachygrapsus transversus. The diel timing of C. sapidus settlement on collectors was determined at the coast and compared to previous studies of settlement in the estuary. Behavioral responses to environmental cues may alter transport pathways from those predicted by hydrodynamic models.

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