Larval dispersal is a key process for community assembly and population maintenance in the marine environment, yet it is extremely difficult to measure at ecologically relevant spatio-temporal scales. We used a high-resolution hydrodynamic model and particle-tracking model to explore the dispersal of simulated larvae in a hydrographically complex region of fjords on the West Antarctic Peninsula. Modeled larvae represented two end members of dispersal potential observed in Antarctic benthos resulting from differing developmental periods and swimming behavior. For simulations of low dispersing larvae (pre-competency period= 8 days, settlement period= 15 days, swimming downward) self-recruitment within fjords was important, with no larval settlement occurring in adjacent fjords < 50 km apart. For simulations of highly dispersing organisms (pre-competency period= 35-120 days, settlement period= 30-115 days, no swimming behavior), dispersal between fjords occurred when larvae were in the water column for at least 35 days, but settlement was rarely successful even for larvae spending up to 150 days in the plankton. The lack of ecological connectivity between fjords within a single spawning event suggests that these fjords harbor ecologically distinct populations in which self-recruitment may maintain populations, and genetic connectivity between fjords is likely achieved through stepping-stone dispersal. Export of larvae from natal fjord populations to the broader shelf region (> 100 km distance) occurred within surface layers (< 100 m depth) and was enhanced by episodic katabatic wind events that may be common in glaciomarine fjords worldwide.

中文翻译：

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幼虫扩散模型表明西南极半岛峡湾之间的生态连通性有限

幼虫扩散是海洋环境中群落组装和种群维持的关键过程，但在生态相关的时空尺度上进行测量极其困难。我们使用高分辨率流体动力学模型和粒子跟踪模型来探索模拟幼虫在南极半岛西部峡湾水文复杂区域的扩散。模拟幼虫代表了在南极底栖动物中观察到的由不同发育时期和游泳行为引起的扩散潜力的两个末端成员。对于低分散幼虫的模拟（前能力期 = 8 天，沉降期 = 15 天，向下游动），峡湾内的自我招募很重要，在相距 <50 公里的相邻峡湾中没有发生幼虫沉降。对于高度分散的生物体的模拟（前能力期= 35-120 天，沉降期= 30-115 天，没有游泳行为），当幼虫在水体中至少停留 35 天时，峡湾之间就会发生扩散，但沉降是即使幼虫在浮游生物中停留长达 150 天，也很少成功。单个产卵事件中峡湾之间缺乏生态连通性表明这些峡湾拥有生态上不同的种群，其中自我招募可以维持种群，而峡湾之间的遗传连通性可能是通过垫脚石扩散来实现的。幼虫从出生的峡湾种群输出到更广阔的陆架区域（> 100 公里的距离）发生在表层（<