The question of where larvae develop remains unanswered for virtually all deep-sea invertebrates. They must either ascend great distances to feed in surface waters and tolerate extreme changes in temperature, pressure, and other factors, or they must develop in a region which is too deep to support the small plants on which their near-shore counterparts feed. In preliminary studies using manned submersibles, adults were collected and spawned, and the resulting larvae reared in the laboratory. Contrary to predictions, the majority of species studied were planktotrophic (feeding) rather than lecithotrophic (non-feeding). Moreover, the lecithotrophic species had buoyant eggs that probably develop at the surface. These findings were significant, as most previous studies of deep-sea reproduction were conducted using preserved material. This research proposes to compare developmental patterns and rates, larval nutrition and dispersal potential for several echinoderm species (primarily sea urchins and starfish) occuring from shallow shelf habitats to the lower bathyal zone in Bahamian waters.
