Rare earth tagging methods for the study of larval dispersal by marine invertebrates

作者：Lisa Ann Levin, Douglas V. Huggett, Philip C. Myers, Todd S. Bridges, Jack N. Weaver · 发表于：Limnology and Oceanography · 年份：1993 · DOI：10.4319/lo.1993.38.2.0346 · 被引用次数：38 · 研究领域：Geochemistry and Elemental Analysis、Mercury impact and mitigation studies、Isotope Analysis in Ecology

Rare‐earth elements (REEs) are proposed as a label for invertebrate larvae (clams, barnacles, and polychaetes) and passive larval mimics (polystyrene spheres) to be used in field studies of larval dispersal. Different elements, their uptake levels, retention times, and effects on larval survivorship were examined to assess suitability of REEs as larval tags. Lu, Sm, and Eu were selected for labeling work based on extremely low levels in natural plankton and seawater and due to the high sensitivity of neutron activation analysis to these elements. Adequate label retention occurs on time scales of hours to days in both larvae and microspheres. Combined use of Eu‐labeled microspheres and Lu‐ and Sm‐labeled larvae in release‐recapture mode offers a highly sensitive method for studying trajectories and behavior of larvae in natural settings. However, dilution factors may limit experimentation to small and intermediate spatial scales (meters to kilometers) in the field.