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Patterns of variability in growth, development and mortality in early life histories were examined at two levels--general and specific. At the general level, I examined the functional significance of larvae in metazoan life cycles. This was achieved by surveying the metazoa at the class level and categorizing mode of development by habitat. Three long-standing hypotheses for the paucity of larval development in fresh water were rejected. I argue that viewing metazoan larvae as a means for feeding and growth provides a unifying framework for evaluating the features of habitats which correlate with the range of variation expressed in development modes. I offer a modelling framework to investigate variation in developmental modes within and between habitats. The suggested model requires input on larval growth rates, larval period duration (development time), and size-specific mortality rates. These variables, and the interactions between them, are also central to the specific analysis which addresses the ecological processes and mechanisms which affect survival and hence recruitment during the early life histories periods of marine fishes. Winter flounder (Pleuronectes americanus) was used as a model species to investigate phenotypic variability in patterns of growth and development and their survival consequences. Using laboratory-reared fish, I demonstrate that size-at-age does not diverge continuously during the larval and juvenile periods. The results show that fish which grow slowly as larvae, compensate for their slow growth by growing rapidly as juveniles. This compensation in growth rate causes juvenile size-at-age to converge, or at least, prevents divergence in juvenile size-at-age. In addition, I provide some of the first estimates of individual variability in larval growth trajectories for a marine fish. I conducted the first experiment which separates the effects of both size and age on the vulnerability to predation in recently metamorphosed fishes. Th

Durch die Zunahme von Offshorewindparks wird der anthropogene Lärmpegel im Meer weiter ansteigen. Deshalb ist es notwendig, mögliche negative Effekte von Windturbinenschall auf Fische zu erkennen und zu minimieren. Um mögliche Effekte des Turbinenschalls auf Kabeljau (Gadus morhua) und Scholle (Pleuronectes platessa) zu untersuchen, wurden die Fische in Laborversuchen verschiedenen tiefen Frequenzen und Schallstärken, wie sie von Windturbinen emittiert werden ausgesetzt. Ein ringförmiges Betonversuchsbecken mit 10 Metern Durchmesser wurde mit Schallisolationwänden in verbundene Viertel unterteilt, wodurch im Becken eine Schalldruckdifferenz von 32-52 dB, abhängig von Frequenz und produziertem Schalldruckpegel erzeugt wurde. Die Fische, die sich frei im Becken bewegen und so, wenn sie wollten, den höchsten Schalldruckpegeln ausweichen konnten, wurden monofrequenten Tönen im Frequenzbereich zwischen 25 und 250 Hz in Schalldruckpegeln von 130 und 140 dB re 1 µPa ausgesetzt. Die Position der Fische im Becken wurde in den 24-Stunden-Phasen vor, während und nach Beschallung verglichen und zeigte in den meisten Versuchen während Beschallung signifikant weniger Kabeljau in der Nähe der Schallquelle, als in den Phasen vor und nach Beschallung. Scholle zeigte uneinheitliche Reaktionen, die teilweise auf Meideverhalten, in anderen Versuchen auf Attraktion durch den Schall hindeuteten. Die Ergebnisse lassen wenigstens kurzzeitige, durch Schall verursachte Verteilungsänderungen von Kabeljau in Offshorewindparks erwarten. / The growing number of offshore wind farms will lead to an increase of anthropogenic noise in the sea. Research is therefore necessary to identify and minimize any potentially negative effects of offshore wind turbine noise on fish. To examine the potential impact of offshore wind farm noise emissions on cod (Gadus morhua) and plaice (Pleuronectes platessa), tank experiments were carried out exposing the fishes to different low frequencies at sound levels as emitted by wind turbines An annular concrete tank of 10 m in diameter was divided in connected quarters by sound barriers, so that sound pressure differences of 32 to 52 dB were achieved, depending on frequency and produced sound levels. Pure tones in the frequency range between 25 and 250 Hz were artificially emitted in sound levels of 130 and 140 dB re 1µPa. The experimental fish were free to move around in the tank and therefore could avoid the highest sound levels if they chose to. The location of fish in the 24 hour periods before, during and after sound production were compared and showed significantly lower numbers of cod in the vicinity of the sound source during sound presentation in the majority of the experiments. Reactions of plaice were ambiguous, suggesting both avoidance of, or attraction to the sound. From the results at least short-term changes in distribution of cod related to sound in the vicinity of offshore wind farms could be expected.