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Active And Passive Settling By Marine Benthic Nematodes, Rodney Duane Bertelsen

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

This study investigates whether active processes participate in the settlement of marine benthic nematodes. The settling rates of three estuarine benthic nematode taxa were examined in a linear flume using two treatments defined by the type of sediment bed placed in the flume. One treatment bed contained sediments rendered "unattractive" by boiling. The other treatment bed contained unaltered "attractive" sediment. Preliminary still water choice experiments confirmed the attractive and unattractive properties of these sediment treatments with each taxon. Recolonization trays placed in the field confirmed that each taxon did disperse in the water column. One taxon (Theristus sp?) exhibited significantly …