California Sea Grant College Program

Colonization of the benthic environment requires planktonic larvae to settle from the water column and metamorphose to a juvenile stage. For many species, planktonic larvae can discriminate between settlement sites; the larvae not only choose consistently between substrates in the laboratory, but cluster on preferred substrates in the field. Chemical properties of benthic environments are known to provide essential cues for larvae actively colonizing habitat sites. The requirements for chemical inducers to trigger settlement and metamorphosis can be exploited for ecological management and commercial benefits.