When oysters hatch, the microscopic larvae are totally at the mercy of the environment. Controlled by time and tide, they move where and when the water takes them, sometimes landing far from where they were spawned. When they finally come to rest, the place where they settle may or may not be a suitable place for them to grow.

Dr. Ruth Carmichael points out some man-made reefs designed to curb erosional processes visible near shore.

Two researchers, marine ecologist Ruth H. Carmichael of the Dauphin Island Sea Lab and coastal physical oceanographer Keyong Park of Texas A&M University in Galveston, have combined their expertise to discover more about how these processes affect the larvae of oysters and other commercially important seafood populations as they make their first journeys. Read more