Effects of seawater suspensions of iron ore dust on Fucus oospheres

When shaken in ore dust suspensions and when made to sink through ore dust suspensions in water columns, freshly liberated Fucus oospheres (eggs) act as centres for the build-up of dust particle aggregates. Dust laden oospheres are less efficient as attractants of spermatozoids. The amounts of dust ‘loading’ of the eggs depends on the initial sizes of the dust particle aggregates formed in seawater.