Settlement of the mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis on collectors suspended from rafts in the Ría de Arousa (NW of Spain): annual pattern and spatial variability

The annual pattern and the spatial variability of settlement of the mussel, Mytilus galloprovincialis, on collectors suspended from rafts, have been investigated in the Ría de Arousa (NW of Spain). A period of settlement, from March to September, was observed at the three sites and three depths investigated. Settlement showed a strong spatial variability with regard to both the situation of the collectors within the Ría and the depth to which they were suspended. The more seaward the site in the Ría and shallower the depth in the water column, the higher the density of settlement.