Larval Behavior and Protective Implications for Sea Scallops and Surf Clams within the Middle Atlantic Bight: Part Two, Variability of Physical Environment and Larval Behaviors

Abstract

Larval growth and settlement rates are important larval behaviors for larval protections. The variability of larval growthsettlement rates and physical conditions for 2006-2012 and in the future with potential climate changes was studied using the coupling ROMS-IMBs, and new temperature and current indexes. Forty-four experimental cases were conducted for larval growth patterns and release mechanisms, showing the spatial, seasonal, annual, and climatic variations of larval growthsettlement rates and physical conditions, demonstrating that the slight different larval temperature-adaption and larval release strategies made difference in larval growth-settlement rates, and displaying that larval growth and settlement rates highly depended upon physical conditions and were vulnerable to climate changes.