Sr. Wing et al., SETTLEMENT AND TRANSPORT OF BENTHIC INVERTEBRATES IN AN INTERMITTENT UPWELLING REGION, Limnology and oceanography, 40(2), 1995, pp. 316-329
We monitored settlement of sea urchins (Strongylocentrotus spp.) and c
rabs (primarily Cancer spp.) and concurrent physical variables at Bode
ga Marine Laboratory (BML) and Salt Point (northern California) from A
pril through August 1992. Upwelling favorable winds led to lower tempe
ratures, higher salinities, and lower subsurface pressures at BML, whi
le periods of relaxation from upwelling typically caused a lagged reve
rsal of each of these trends. This response to relaxation was due to a
combination of alongshore and onshore flow of near-surface water at t
his site. Crab settlement was significantly correlated with the rate o
f temperature increase, corresponding to relaxation events. In contras
t, sea urchins settled primarily during an unusual relaxation event wh
ich possibly involved remote forcing. Sea urchin and crab settlement w
ere negatively correlated. Possible reasons include residence in diffe
rent water masses, different biomechanical characteristics, and predat
ion by crab larvae on sea urchin larvae. The time-course of settlement
at Salt Point was similar to that at BML for both species groups.