Successfully settling coral larvae is a cornerstone of any scientific or restoration program that uses sexually produced corals. While we have successfully settled acroporid corals for many years, the Great Barrier Reef is composed of a great diversity of species, and this diversity must be captured in future renewal programs.
Using AIMS long-term monitoring data, we selected a suite of corals based on their significant contribution to coral cover on the reef. These import reef-building corals are the focus of research to test a broad range of settlement cues across species, which likely respond uniquely to these chemical inducers. In 2018, we spawned a record number of species at the National Sea Simulator, and we aim to increase that number in 2019, to further broaden our understanding of larval settlement responses.
We will also test larval settlement ability through time, to determine their competency windows and identify optimal settlement periods.
