Pull the trigger: interplay between benthic and pelagic cues driving the early recruitment of a natural bivalve assemblage

Abstract Larval settlement and recruitment are crucial phases in the benthic‐pelagic life cycle of marine benthic invertebrates that controls population dynamic and habitat connectivity. Our study investigated potential triggers driving the settlement of bivalve larvae in a highly dynamic intertidal coarse sand habitat. The early recruitment rate of five dominant bivalve families and abiotic conditions, particulate (