Flow regime determines whether larval settlement hydrodynamics are governed by swimming speed or shape
Abstract
Larval dispersal and settlement govern the replenishment of sessile marine populations and the assembly of benthic communities, yet how larval traits interact with near-surface flow structures to direct settlement remains unclear. We used coupled hydrodynamic and larval-scale simulations to resolve how swimming speed and body shape, from circular to elongated, influence settlement in oscillatory flow over ridged substrates. Settlement success differed by up to an order of magnitude across trait combinations. Near-surface flow acted as a trait filter by differentially regulating transport to, retention near, and encounters with the substrate. The trait that mattered most depended on the local flow structure. Where rapid flow restricted access to settlement surfaces, swimming speed was most important. Where flow recirculated between substrate ridges, shape-dependent alignment controlled transport and retention. These results link larval traits to flow-mediated settlement mechanisms and provide a physical framework for understanding how recruitment varies across complex benthic habitats.
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BibTeX
@misc{gysbers2026flow,
title = {{Flow regime determines whether larval settlement hydrodynamics are governed by swimming speed or shape}},
author = {Daniel Gysbers and Mark A. Levenstein and Gabriel Juarez},
howpublished = {arXiv},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.48550/arxiv.2610.03596},
eprint = {2610.03596},
archivePrefix = {arXiv},
url = {https://arxiv.org/abs/2610.03596},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - UNPB
TI - Flow regime determines whether larval settlement hydrodynamics are governed by swimming speed or shape
AU - Daniel Gysbers
AU - Mark A. Levenstein
AU - Gabriel Juarez
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/02
PB - arXiv
DO - 10.48550/arxiv.2610.03596
UR - https://arxiv.org/abs/2610.03596
AB - Larval dispersal and settlement govern the replenishment of sessile marine populations and the assembly of benthic communities, yet how larval traits interact with near-surface flow structures to direct settlement remains unclear. We used coupled hydrodynamic and larval-scale simulations to resolve how swimming speed and body shape, from circular to elongated, influence settlement in oscillatory flow over ridged substrates. Settlement success differed by up to an order of magnitude across trait combinations. Near-surface flow acted as a trait filter by differentially regulating transport to, retention near, and encounters with the substrate. The trait that mattered most depended on the local flow structure. Where rapid flow restricted access to settlement surfaces, swimming speed was most important. Where flow recirculated between substrate ridges, shape-dependent alignment controlled transport and retention. These results link larval traits to flow-mediated settlement mechanisms and provide a physical framework for understanding how recruitment varies across complex benthic habitats.
ER -