Role of settlement in determining the distribution and abundance of barnacles in a temperate mangrove forest

Abstract

An increased understanding of the role of early life history stages in determining the distributions of benthic invertebrates require studies covering a wide range of habitats, and preferably multiple scales. For one of the more prominent invertebrate groups, intertidal barnacles, much of our existing knowledge is drawn from studies of rocky shores, with few studies from other habitats. Here, we describe the distribution of adults of the temperate barnacle Elminius covertus in mangrove (Avicennia marina) forests of southeastern Australia. We sampled E. covertus on pneumatophores over a large-scale (50-100 m) across the forests from the landward to seaward edges. We also described large scale..