THE HISTORY OF A POPULATION OF LIMACINA RETROVERSA DURING ITS DRIFT ACROSS THE GULF OF MAINE
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Abstract:
A population of small specimens of the pteropod, Limacina retroversa, appeared in the eastern part of the Gulf of Maine in December, 1933. From collections made during the following 9 months information was obtained showing that the population was a homogeneous one, that its members grew to maximum size in 5 months, declining in numbers as they did so.A second population of small individuals appeared in the Gulf in late spring, originating chiefly from offshore, but possibly in part being offspring of the original population. These were unsuccessful in maintaining their numbers throughout the summer.In addition to the information on the life history of Limacina, the data indicate the rate of drift of the water in its circuit of the Gulf. It supplies also suggestive information on the dispersal of organisms through the lateral mixing of water. It emphasizes the dependence of pelagic organisms upon the current systems of the ocean and the difficulty involved in maintaining a permanent population in any one locality.Pelagic dispersal of most benthic marine organisms is a fundamental driver of population distribution and persistence and is thought to lead to highly mixed populations. However, the mechanisms driving dispersal pathways of larvae along open coastlines are largely unknown. To examine the degree to which early stages can remain spatially coherent during dispersal, we measured genetic relatedness within a large pulse of newly recruited splitnose rockfish ( Sebastes diploproa ), a live-bearing fish whose offspring settle along the US Pacific Northwest coast after spending up to a year in the pelagic environment. A total of 11.6% of the recruits in a single recruitment pulse were siblings, providing the first evidence for persistent aggregation throughout a long dispersal period. Such protracted aggregation has profound implications for our understanding of larval dispersal, population connectivity, and gene flow within demersal marine populations.
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