Turbulence affects larval vertical swimming in the cold-water coral Lophelia pertusa
Vertical migration of marine larvae may drastically affect their dispersal, especially if they are spawned in the deep sea. Previous studies have shown that the planktonic larvae of the cold-water coral Lophelia pertusa in still water swim upwards at a speed of ca. 0.5 mm s-1 during a pre-competency...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2022-12-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Marine Science |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2022.1062884/full |
| _version_ | 1811200653351976960 |
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| author | Vilhelm Fagerström Göran Broström Ann I. Larsson |
| author_facet | Vilhelm Fagerström Göran Broström Ann I. Larsson |
| author_sort | Vilhelm Fagerström |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Vertical migration of marine larvae may drastically affect their dispersal, especially if they are spawned in the deep sea. Previous studies have shown that the planktonic larvae of the cold-water coral Lophelia pertusa in still water swim upwards at a speed of ca. 0.5 mm s-1 during a pre-competency period of 3–5 weeks. This behavioral trait is thought to benefit dispersion of larvae as it promotes near surface drift in relatively strong currents. In the ocean however, larvae regularly encounter turbulent water movements potentially impeding their swimming ability. With no apparent stabilizing mechanism, it may be expected that the body orientation of these larvae, and consequently their directed swimming, is sensitive to perturbation by external forces. We investigated the effects of turbulence on vertical swimming of pre-competent L. pertusa larvae by exposing them to relevant turbulence intensities within a grid-stirred tank. Larval movement and water flow were simultaneously recorded, allowing for analysis of individual larval swimming velocities. We showed that the upwards directed swimming speed generally decreased with increasing turbulence, dropping to non-significant in turbulence levels occurring near ocean boundaries. Our results do however suggest that L. pertusa larvae maintain their upwards directed swimming, albeit at reduced speed, in a major part of the water column, thus allowing them to spend part of their planktonic phase in the uppermost ocean layer. This new insight into the behavior of L. pertusa larvae in their natural environment strengthens the notion of the species as one with strong potential for long-distance dispersal. Such information is important for the understanding of L. pertusa population connectivity, and vital when developing tools for modelling of larval transport. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-12T02:07:17Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-baa621f8c48a4f23a17fe24ae5b731da |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2296-7745 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-12T02:07:17Z |
| publishDate | 2022-12-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Marine Science |
| spelling | doaj.art-baa621f8c48a4f23a17fe24ae5b731da2022-12-22T03:52:30ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Marine Science2296-77452022-12-01910.3389/fmars.2022.10628841062884Turbulence affects larval vertical swimming in the cold-water coral Lophelia pertusaVilhelm Fagerström0Göran Broström1Ann I. Larsson2Department of Marine Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, SwedenDepartment of Marine Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, SwedenTjärnö Marine Laboratory, Department of Marine Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Strömstad, SwedenVertical migration of marine larvae may drastically affect their dispersal, especially if they are spawned in the deep sea. Previous studies have shown that the planktonic larvae of the cold-water coral Lophelia pertusa in still water swim upwards at a speed of ca. 0.5 mm s-1 during a pre-competency period of 3–5 weeks. This behavioral trait is thought to benefit dispersion of larvae as it promotes near surface drift in relatively strong currents. In the ocean however, larvae regularly encounter turbulent water movements potentially impeding their swimming ability. With no apparent stabilizing mechanism, it may be expected that the body orientation of these larvae, and consequently their directed swimming, is sensitive to perturbation by external forces. We investigated the effects of turbulence on vertical swimming of pre-competent L. pertusa larvae by exposing them to relevant turbulence intensities within a grid-stirred tank. Larval movement and water flow were simultaneously recorded, allowing for analysis of individual larval swimming velocities. We showed that the upwards directed swimming speed generally decreased with increasing turbulence, dropping to non-significant in turbulence levels occurring near ocean boundaries. Our results do however suggest that L. pertusa larvae maintain their upwards directed swimming, albeit at reduced speed, in a major part of the water column, thus allowing them to spend part of their planktonic phase in the uppermost ocean layer. This new insight into the behavior of L. pertusa larvae in their natural environment strengthens the notion of the species as one with strong potential for long-distance dispersal. Such information is important for the understanding of L. pertusa population connectivity, and vital when developing tools for modelling of larval transport.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2022.1062884/fullturbulencelarval behaviorplanulaLophelia pertusaDesmophyllum pertusumvertical migration |
| spellingShingle | Vilhelm Fagerström Göran Broström Ann I. Larsson Turbulence affects larval vertical swimming in the cold-water coral Lophelia pertusa Frontiers in Marine Science turbulence larval behavior planula Lophelia pertusa Desmophyllum pertusum vertical migration |
| title | Turbulence affects larval vertical swimming in the cold-water coral Lophelia pertusa |
| title_full | Turbulence affects larval vertical swimming in the cold-water coral Lophelia pertusa |
| title_fullStr | Turbulence affects larval vertical swimming in the cold-water coral Lophelia pertusa |
| title_full_unstemmed | Turbulence affects larval vertical swimming in the cold-water coral Lophelia pertusa |
| title_short | Turbulence affects larval vertical swimming in the cold-water coral Lophelia pertusa |
| title_sort | turbulence affects larval vertical swimming in the cold water coral lophelia pertusa |
| topic | turbulence larval behavior planula Lophelia pertusa Desmophyllum pertusum vertical migration |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2022.1062884/full |
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