SETTLEMENT-PATTERNS OF CALLINECTES-SAPIDUS MEGALOPAE IN MISSISSIPPI SOUND - 1991, 1992

Daily sampling for blue crab megalopae was conducted from May through November 1991 and 1992 in Mississippi Sound. Settlement was highly epi sodic in both years. Temporal periodicity of major settlement events w as similar in 1991 and 1992 with highest settlement in late summer/ear ly fall. Peak settlement occurred on 17 August of 1991 when 7,676 mega lopae per sampler were collected. Statistically, little or no relation ship was observed between settlement events and temperature, salinity, predicted astronomical tides, lunar period and average daily wind dir ection and speed. Qualitative examination of meteorologic and hydrolog ic parameters surrounding peak settlement episodes showed settlement o ccurred under a variety of conditions; however, spring tides coupled w ith onshore winds were associated with the majority of high settlement events.