Coloring coral larvae allows tracking of local dispersal and settlement

Quantifying patterns of dispersal and settlement in marine benthic invertebrates is challenging, largely due the complexity of life history traits, small sizes of larvae (100 km) in the marine environment. Here, we develop a novel method that allows for immediate differentiation and visual tracking of large numbers of coral larvae (106 to 109) from dispersal to settlement. Neutral red and Nile blue stains were extremely effective in coloring larvae, with minimal impacts on survival and settlement following optimization of incubation times and stain concentrations. Field validation to wild-captured larvae from the Great Barrier Reef demonstrates the efficacy of staining across diverse taxa. The method provides a simple, rapid (