Oceanography Vol. 20, No. 3 22 MARINE POPULATION CONNECTIVITY Oceanography Vol. 20, No. 3 22 MANY MARINE SPECIES have small, pelagic early life stages. For those spe- cies, knowledge of population connectivity requires understanding the origin and trajectories of dispersing eggs and larvae among subpopulations. Researchers have used various terms to describe the movement of eggs and larvae in the marine envi- ronment, including larval dispersal, dispersion, drift, export, retention, and larval transport. Though these terms are intuitive and relevant for understanding the spatial dynamics of populations, some may be nonoperational (i.e., not measur- able), and the variety of descriptors and approaches used makes studies dificult to compare. Furthermore, the assumptions that underlie some of these concepts are rarely identiied and tested. Here, we describe two phenomenologi- cally relevant concepts, larval transport and larval dispersal. These concepts have corresponding operational deinitions, are relevant to understanding population connectivity, and have a long history in the literature, although they are sometimes confused and used interchangeably. After dein- ing and discussing larval transport and dispersal, we consider the relative importance of planktonic processes to the overall understanding and measurement of popula- tion connectivity. The ideas considered in this contribution are applicable to most benthic and pelagic species that undergo transforma- tions among life stages. In this review, however, we focus on coastal and nearshore benthic invertebrates and ishes. Larval Transport and Dispersal in the Coastal Ocean and Consequences for Population Connectivity BY JESúS PINEDA, JONATHAN A. HARE, AND SU SPONAUGLE