Supply-Side Ecology of Meroplanktonic Larvae, with a Focus on Crabs and Barnacles, Forced by the Internal Tide in Baja California

In the Bay of Todos Santos, Ensenada, Mexico, internal tidal waves have been identified as one of the main physical mechanisms involved in the supply of larvae to the coast, transporting several species of meroplanktonic invertebrates that inhabit the intertidal zone, such as barnacles, crustaceans and echinoderms. Internal tidal waves in the bay have high spatial variability in both amplitude and frequency, being more intense in the northern than in the southern part. We will present the effect of the spatial variability of the internal tidal field on the vertical distribution, transport and settlement of meroplanktonic larvae and discuss the ecological implications of this spatial variability.