Collaborative Research: Temporal and spatial scales of variability in bivalve connectivity.

幼虫的连通性，在何种程度上亚种群交换幼虫，已成为人口生态学，生物资源管理，生物多样性保护，入侵物种控制和栖息地恢复的不同领域内的一个基本概念。然而，确定幼虫的扩散轨迹及其变化幅度仍然是一个重大挑战。在这里，Levin博士，Muccino和Razmussen将使用前瞻性建模和回顾性（元素指纹）方法的整合来评估幼虫连接的变化及其对加州南部贻贝种群的人口统计学后果。该项目建立在mytilid连接的初步研究的基础上，以更深入地解决变异性及其原因的问题，并采用更强的物理/生物耦合方法。这些合作的科学家将解决有关贻贝，加州贻贝和贻贝galloprovincialis连接的空间和时间尺度的假设，检查它们在网站和物种之间的一致性。这将通过以下方式实现：（a）每年在圣地亚哥县的18个地点进行数次幼虫外植，以生成痕量元素指纹的参考特征;（B）收集补充幼虫并对其幼虫壳进行元素分析，以确定产地和原产地;以及（c）在2个海湾地点进行M. galloprovincialis和2个开阔海岸的位置。californianus每周分析招募变异性及其与化学信号和招募来源的联系，并收集人口统计数据（特定大小的存活率、生长和繁殖力）。通过对沿海海洋和海湾的数值扩散模拟，以及随后与基于指纹识别的招募起源评估的比较，他们将研究环流，本地与远程强迫，海湾-海洋相互作用，情节事件和幼虫属性（垂直行为，释放时间，休眠持续时间）的作用在定义连通性的变化。人口数据将与连接数据相结合，以模拟观察到的mytilid连接模式的人口和元人口水平的健身后果，该项目的关键教育要素包括培训本科生和研究生进行跨学科研究，整合沿海海洋物理学，幼虫生态学和人口统计学。连通性研究的结果直接适用于商业和自然双壳类种群的保护和管理，并考虑到贻贝的关键结构作用，保护岩石海岸栖息地。

Larval connectivity, the extent to which sub-populations exchange larvae, has emerged as a fundamental concept within the diverse arenas of population ecology, biotic resource management, biodiversity conservation, invasive species control, and habitat restoration. However, determining dispersal trajectories of larvae and their scales of variability remain a major challenge. Here Drs. Levin, Muccino and Razmussen will use an integration of prospective modeling and retrospective (elemental fingerprinting) approaches to assess variability in larval connectivity and its demographic consequences for mytilid mussel populations in southern California. This project builds on initial studies of mytilid connectivity to address in greater depth and with a more strongly coupled physical/biological approach, questions of variability and its causes. These collaborating scientists will address hypotheses concerning the spatial and temporal scales of connectivity for mussels, Mytilus californianus and Mytilus galloprovincialis, examining their consistency among sites and species. This will be accomplished through (a) larval out-planting at 18 locations in San Diego County several times a year to generate reference signatures for trace elemental fingerprinting, (b) collection of recruits and elemental analyses of their larval shells to determine sites and regions of origins, and (c) high frequency data collection at 2 bay locations for M. galloprovincialis and 2 open coast locations for M. californianus to carry out weekly analysis of recruitment variability, its link to chemical signals and recruit origins, and for collection of demographic data (size-specific survivorship, growth and fecundity). Through numerical dispersal simulations of the coastal ocean and bays, and subsequent comparisons to fingerprinting based assessment of recruit origins, they will examine the roles of circulation, local vs. remote forcing, bay-ocean interaction, episodic events, and larval attributes (vertical behavior, release times, planktonic duration) in defining the variability of connectivity. Demographic data will be combined with connectivity data to model the population and meta-population level fitness consequences of observed mytilid connectivity patterns.Key educational elements of this project include the training of undergraduate and graduate students to conduct inter-disciplinary research that integrates coastal ocean physics, larval ecology and demography. The results of connectivity studies have direct applicability to conservation and management of commercial and natural bivalve populations, and given the key structural role of mussels, to the conservation of rocky shore habitats.