Realising connectivity- the influence of early life history on the dynamics of marine metapopulations

The replenishment of benthic marine populations is the culmination of many processes that influence the production, dispersal, settlement and survival of larvae to maturity. Although there have been recent advances in our... [ view full abstract ]

The replenishment of benthic marine populations is the culmination of many processes that influence the production, dispersal, settlement and survival of larvae to maturity. Although there have been recent advances in our understanding of dispersal and its importance to population connectivity, to date no study has attempted to evaluate all early life-history processes to assess their relevance to the maintenance of marine metapopulations. Using a model temperate reef fish species, the southern hulafish (Trachinops caudimaculatus), we present data on larval vertical distributions, larval settlement behaviour from choice experiments, and spatial population structure and integrate these empirical results into a coupled biophysical connectivity framework. We then compare modelled estimates of connectivity to larval dispersal patterns from otolith microchemistry. Our findings reveal that realistic estimates of connectivity depend on a high degree of biological complexity, highlighting the importance of empirical validation of biophysical models of larval dispersal.