Definitions for "Meroplankton"
Planktonic organisms that spend only their larvae/ juvenile stages in the planktonic community. Examples of meroplankton would be crab and barnacle larvae).
plankton that spend only part of their life cycle in the water column before settling to the bottom (compare holoplankton)
those animals that spend part of their life cycle in the plankton but become part of the nekton or benthos as adults, such as some larval fish and crabs. See holoplankton.