3.2.4 SETTLEMENT
Settlement containers consisted of 2 L white plastic containers with mesh sides (80 μm) to allow for water circulation. Larvae in replicate jars were pooled to remove variation between jars and then divided into three replicate containers per copper level and timing of exposure, and 12 control replicates. Initial larval density was measured in pooled jars. Containers were placed into large plastic trays (ten randomly assigned containers per tray) filled with FSW and oxygenated with two airlines per tray. Trays were placed in a flowing seawater bath to maintain a near constant temperature similar to the temperature during larval development. Each settlement container was inoculated with benthic diatoms (mixed species) eight days prior to settlement to provide a settlement cue and food for young settlers (Xing et al. 2007). Complete water renewals were done three times per week. Temperature was measured daily while pH and dissolved oxygen were measured weekly in trays. All measures were constant across trays. All treatments except those from the High copper level were placed in settlement containers after 28 d of larval development.Larvae in High copper treatments, both Early and Late exposure groups, appeared to be delayed and were therefore given five additional days (33 d post-fertilisation) to achieve similar development as the other treatments (i.e. > 75% of normal larvae being at the 8-armed stage) before being transferred to the settlement containers. Time post-settlement was counted from the first day that larvae were placed in settlement containers. Larvae were given eight days to settle after which any remaining larvae were removed from the containers.
Settler density was measured by counting the total number of settlers per container under a dissecting microscope at 8 and 25 d post-settlement. The first 20 settlers encountered were photographed under a dissecting microscope (25x magnification).Body diameter (radial length) and the length of three spines were measured using the software ImageJ. Benthic diatom cover was recorded qualitatively as low, medium or dense at 25 d and 40 d post-settlement to ensure food was not a limiting factor