Oceanic rafting by a coastal community

This study provides the first direct evidence that oceanic rafting on macroalgae can transport diverse intertidal organisms across hundreds of kilometers, facilitating trans-oceanic dispersal and landfall. Researchers documented the rafting of 10 epifaunal invertebrate species attached to six large bull kelp specimens, traveling from the subantarctic Auckland or Snares Islands to mainland New Zealand's Otago coast—a journey spanning 400–600 km. Using phylogeographic and ecological data, the study demonstrates that passive rafting can simultaneously enable long-distance transport and successful colonization of multiple coastal taxa, challenging previous assumptions about the viability of such dispersal mechanisms in isolated ecosystems.

Fraser, C. I., Nikula, R., & Waters, J. M. (2010). Oceanic rafting by a coastal community. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 278(1706), 649–655. https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2010.1117