Active buoyancy adjustment increases dispersal potential in benthic marine animals

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 ad...

1. 海洋中物种扩散与连通性的研究通常以远洋（pelagic）物种及底栖生物的浮游幼体阶段为核心，而本研究则聚焦于一类被长期忽视的运动策略——沉降后底栖阶段的运动方式，该策略重新界定了此类生物的扩散潜力。
2. 棘皮动物（echinoderm）海参纲（Holothuroidea）的物种广泛栖息于全球多样的海洋生境中，在当地发挥着关键的生态与经济功能，因此对其开展保护已成为一项优先事项。海参纲生物通常被称为海参或海蛞蝓，以体现其缓慢的行动特征，学界此前普遍认为它们主要通过远洋浮游幼体实现扩散。
3. 本研究记录并探索了此类生物一项出乎意料的能力：主动调控自身浮力，借此它们能够以远超底栖爬行的速度翻滚或漂浮。本研究历时数年，选取了分别隶属于不同分类目、具有差异化地理分布与繁殖策略的两个焦点物种开展研究。
4. 主动浮力调……