Connectivity definitions

This is skimmed straight from the WHOI benthic ecology and nearshore oceanography lab website and is rather helpful for straightening out definitions of phrases, thanks to them:

Larval transport

"Larval transport is defined as the horizontal translocation of a larva between points x1,y1 and x2,y2, where x and y are
horizontal axes, say, perpendicular and parallel to the coastline. In larval transport, only the spatial dimensions matter.
Although this definition ignores the vertical axis (z) for simplicity, this dimension is critical for larval transport"

(See Pineda, Hare and Sponaugle, 2007)

Larval dispersal

"Larval dispersal refers to the spread of larvae from a spawning source to a settlement site. This definition is consistent with the terrestrial literature (natal dispersal in Clobert et al., 2001; Begon et al., 2006) that describes seed dispersal as the probability density function of the number of seeds versus distance from the adult source (i.e., the dispersal kernel) (Nathan and Muller-Landau, 2000; see Gerrodette, 1981, for a rare marine example)."

(See Scheltema, 1986 and Pineda, Hare and Sponaugle, 2007)

Population connectivity

"Population connectivity has been defined as the exchange of individuals among geographically separated subpopulations...By this definition, if the exchange is measured at the time of settlement, connectivity is essentially larval dispersal from one population to another"

(See Cowen et al., 2007, Oceanography, and Pineda, Hare and Sponaugle, 2007)

Reproductive population connectivity

The dispersal of individuals among subpopulations that survive to reproduce (see Pineda, Hare and Sponaugle, 2007)