Influences of brood-dependent behavioral variation on blue crab (Callinectes sapidus) larval transport in a wind-driven estuarine plume

•Blue crab larval transport was simulated within an idealized three-dimensional estuarine plume under upwelling conditions.•Larvae had brood-dependent and individualized swimming behavior based on observations and a hypothetical behavior model.•After 4 days of simulated transport, brood-dependent behaviors resulted in up to a 1.8 fold difference in net transport.•Simulated larvae with behavior were transported 1.1 – 5 times further and maintained a depth 1% – 67% of passive particles in similar physical conditions.•Despite surface-keeping behavior, the interaction between stratified currents, vertical mixing, and variation in swimming ability may be an important factor in net larval transport.