Data from: Active buoyancy adjustment increases dispersal potential in benthic marine animals ...

• Main Authors: Hamel, Jean-Francois, Sun, Jiamin, Gianasi, Bruno L., Montgomery, Emaline M., Kenchington, Ellen L., Burel, Benoit, Rowe, Sherrylynn, Winger, Paul D., Mercier, Annie
• Format: Dataset
• Language: English
• Published: Dryad 2019
• Subjects: benthic organisms; Holothuria scabra; marine organisms; Cucumaria frondosa; locomotor behaviour; sea cucumber
• Online Access: https://dx.doi.org/10.5061/dryad.90103c0; https://datadryad.org/stash/dataset/doi:10.5061/dryad.90103c0

1. While the study of dispersal and connectivity in the ocean typically centers on pelagic species and planktonic larval stages of benthic species, the present work explores an overlooked locomotor means in post-settlement benthic stages that redefines their dispersal potential. 2. Members of the echinoderm class Holothuroidea colonize a diversity of marine environments worldwide, where they play key ecological and economical roles, making their conservation a priority. Holothuroids are commonly called sea cucumbers or sea slugs to reflect their slow movements and are assumed to disperse chiefly through pelagic larvae. 3. The present study documents and explores their unexpected ability to actively modify their buoyancy, leading them to tumble or float at speeds orders of magnitudes faster than through benthic crawling. Two focal species representing different taxonomic orders, geographic distributions and reproductive strategies were studied over several years. 4. Active buoyancy adjustment (ABA) was ... : ABA_dataThis file contains data associated with a study of active buoyancy adjustment (ABA) in holothuroid echinoderms ...