Journal article
Coloring coral larvae allows tracking of local dispersal and settlement
PLoS biology, Vol.20(12), p.e3001907
06/12/2022
PMID: 36472995
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Abstract
Quantifying patterns of dispersal and settlement in marine benthic invertebrates is challenging, largely due the complexity of life history traits, small sizes of larvae (<1 mm), and potential for large-scale dispersal (>100 km) in the marine environment. Here, we develop a novel method that allows for immediate differentiation and visual tracking of large numbers of coral larvae (10(6) to 10(9)) from dispersal to settlement. Neutral red and Nile blue stains were extremely effective in coloring larvae, with minimal impacts on survival and settlement following optimization of incubation times and stain concentrations. Field validation to wild-captured larvae from the Great Barrier Reef demonstrates the efficacy of staining across diverse taxa. The method provides a simple, rapid (<60 minutes), low-cost (approximately USD$1 per 10(5) larva) tool to color coral larvae that facilitates a wide range of de novo laboratory and field studies of larval behavior and ecology with potential applications for conservation planning and understanding patterns of connectivity.
Details
- Title
- Coloring coral larvae allows tracking of local dispersal and settlement
- Creators
- Christopher Doropoulos - Southern Cross University, Faculty of Science and EngineeringGeorge Roff - CSIRO Oceans and Atmosphere
- Publication Details
- PLoS biology, Vol.20(12), p.e3001907
- Publisher
- Public Library Science
- Number of pages
- 15
- Grant note
- Great Barrier Reef Foundation CSIRO Oceans & Atmosphere awarded; Commonwealth Scientific & Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) Australian Government's Reef Trust; Australian Government Moving Corals Subprogram awarded
- Identifiers
- 991013372728802368
- Copyright
- © 2022 Doropoulos, Roff. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
- Academic Unit
- Faculty of Science and Engineering
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Journal article