Collaborative Research: T-LEOST (realTime-Larval Environment and Ocean Signal Tracking): An Integrated System for the Study of Navigational Cues in the Marine Environment

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The current challenge in the study of larval fish navigation is to sample signals as they are perceived by fish larvae in the pelagic environment. To meet this challenge, the PI?s plan to build upon novel bio-acoustic technology and proof of concept methods for monitoring larval behavior in situ, to develop an integrated realTime Larval Environment and Ocean Signal Tracking (T-LEOST) system. Almost nothing is known about the orientation of larvae earlier in the larval phase, far offshore, or at night. It is now clear that behavior can play a crucial role in pelagic larval dispersal, but the biological processes involved in larval dispersal remain largely unknown. The sequence of cues that dispersing larvae use to determine their swimming direction (orientation) and how they vary spatially is entirely subject to speculation. The orientation of marine larvae is a central issue in understanding and modeling the pelagic stage of coastal organisms. The proposed research will supply important pieces of the pelagic orientation puzzle, that will lead to a better understanding of larval dispersal and population connectivity, and an improved ability to model them. The project will also serve as an observing system platform that will be vital in understanding larval use of a full suite of sensory cues, such as polarized light, electroreception of water movement, and other (magnetic, thermal). One of the over-arching benefits of our proposed system is the capacity to provide existing ocean observing systems with recording of environmental signals meaningful to the successful recruitment of benthic species.Broader Impacts: The project's broader impact lies in its potential to contribute meaningfully to our understanding of the mechanisms underlying dispersal in marine organisms. Personnel will produce an educational video, mentor high-school and college students and provide videos of swimming larval fish in public forums.