The role of reproductive periodicity in dispersal among hydrothermal vents and its implications for regional connectivity

Connectivity among isolated habitat patches via planktonic larval dispersal is crucial for maintaining the regional diversity of hydrothermal vents. Despite increasing sophistication of techniques for simulating dispersal, a lack of information on biological and behavioural traits of vent-associated species limits the applicability of these methods for inferring connectivity. Here we focus on the role of periodic reproduction on dispersal among hydrothermal vents, as periodic and seasonal spawning has increasingly been observed in a variety of taxa. For generalisability, we simulate the dispersal of larvae under treatments of monthly and continuous release timing at various depths, with consistent behavioural traits. Our results show a highly variable effect of periodicity on the characteristics and distribution of dispersal, which are heavily modified by the dispersal depth and source location. The capacity for reproductive periodicity to impact the among-site dispersal warrants further investigation into its prevalence and timing among vent-associated fauna.