These low food concentrations increase planktonic larval duration (PLD), thereby further increasing larval mortality. Planktotrophic larvae ingest algae, but studies indicate that amounts available can fluctuate both spatially and temporally, generally remaining at low levels resulting in food limitations. For feeding in planktotrophic larval forms, there is the additional requirement of using ciliary action to capture unicellular algae for ingestion to fuel the necessary growth and development required for achieving metamorphosis. These behaviors (suspension feeding and swimming) are accomplished by unidirectional beating of cilia located on bands that surround the larva. The free-swimming stage is critical for the success of the individual and the population through seeking new habitats and dispersing. The life cycle of most marine invertebrates is divided into a planktonic larval stage (spanning weeks) followed by metamorphosis to bottom-dwelling adulthood (spanning years). Microfluidics serving as mPIV provided a scalable and accessible approach for investigating the ciliary hydrodynamics of marine organisms. Péclet number analysis for oxygen transport suggested that ciliary velocities help overcome the diffusion-dominated transport (max Péclet numbers ranged between 30-60). Given the laminar flow and the viscosity-dominated environments surrounding the larvae, overcoming the diffusive boundary layer is critical for the organism’s survival. Results from mPIV (velocities) were used to examine the role of ciliary activity in transporting material (oxygen). A library of qualitative vortex patterns and quantitative hydrodynamics (velocity and vorticity profiles) was generated and shared as a standalone repository. Microfluidics enabled the examination of baseline activities (without external flow) and behaviors in the presence of environmental cues (external flow). Next, ciliary hydrodynamics were tracked from 11 days post-fertilization (DPF) to 20 DPF for 21 low-fed larvae. First, we confirmed the approach’s feasibility by examining the underlying hydrodynamics (ciliary-mediated vortex patterns) for low- and high-fed larvae. In this work, we combined microfluidics and fluorescence microscopy as a miniaturized PIV (mPIV) approach to study ciliary-mediated hydrodynamics during suspension feeding in sand dollar larvae ( Dendraster excentricus). Investigating the underlying hydrodynamics of these behaviors is valuable for addressing fundamental biological questions (e.g., phenotypic plasticity) and advancing engineering applications (biomimetic design). During the larval stage, ciliary-mediated activity enables feeding (capture unicellular algae) and transport of materials (oxygen) required for the larva’s growth, development, and successful metamorphosis. The life cycle of most marine invertebrates includes a planktonic larval stage before metamorphosis to bottom-dwelling adulthood. Chen, 1, # 1 # ⋆ to whom correspondence should be addressed.Į-mail contacts: and miniaturized PIV, marine larvae, sand dollars, microfluidics
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