Environmentally friendly microbeads to model the dispersal of particulates in aquatic systems.

The transport of particulate matter including the gametes, larvae and propagules of reproducing organisms and other organic matter involved in nutrient/contaminant transport are important processes, yet there are few environmentally friendly methods available to examine dispersal empirically. Herein we report on the development and application of a biodegradable and non-toxic physical model, based on alginate microbeads with modifiable size, density (ρ), and colour for use in dispersal studies. Specifically, the microbeads were designed to model the size and ρ of parasitic juvenile freshwater mussels (Unionidae; ρ = 1200 kg m), which undergo dispersal upon excystment from fish hosts.