Connectivity, recruitment, and settlement of reef fish on Hawai'i Island
We developed and applied an individual-based model that combines biological processes with high-resolution physical forcing to predict larval fish dispersal and settlement over time and space.
We use the model to examine how biology interacts with the physical environment to shape settlement predictions for reef fish off western and southern Hawai‘i Island.
We find increased probabilities of settling associated with shorter PLDs, a second pathway using eddies for individuals with longer PLDs, how lunar-timed spawning as well as morphological features (e.g., fin and head spines) impact settlement success