| settlement-competency period of planulae and genetic differentiation of the scleractinian coral acropora digitifera. | broadcast-spawning corals expel eggs and sperm, and the fertilized eggs develop into planulae in the water column. as these sessile corals generally disperse during the planktonic larval stage, their larval characteristics (e.g., survival and settlement rates) are thought to be important for their dispersal. although some studies of coral larval dispersal have focused on the maximum time that larvae can remain viable and settle, the relevance of this maximum settlement competency period for long ... | 2005 | 15846048 |