Collaborative Research: Larva-environment interactions: How settlement of marine larvae depends on their responses to varying water flow and surfaces

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Communities of animals that grow on surfaces in the sea originate and maintain themselves by the steady recruitment of minute larvae produced by animals. The larvae of sponges, clams, snails, worms, etc., swim in the sea for various periods of time and then must settle in the right places to survive, grow and reproduce. In this way, both desired marine animals, such as those important to marine farming (e.g., clams, oysters, shrimp and lobsters) and undesirable ones, such as those that make up the fouling communities on boats, piers, and power plant pipes (e.g., sponges, barnacles, mussels and tube worms) become established and are maintained. This research will focus on members of the fouling community and ask questions about how tiny larvae can recognize specific surface requirements and settle onto them in the kinds of very active water movement that characterize all marine habitats.