Publication Date:
2019-07-17
Description:
Coral recruitment was assessed in highly diverse and economically important Spermonde Archipelago, a
reef system subjected to land-based sources of siltation/pollution and destructive fishing, over a period of
2 years. Recruitment on settlement tiles reached up to 705 spat m�2 yr�1 and was strongest in the dry
season (July–October), except off-shore, where larvae settled earlier. Pocilloporidae dominated nearshore,
while a more diverse community of Acroporidae, Poritidae and others settled in the less polluted
mid-shelf and off-shore reefs. Non-coral fouling community appeared to hardly influence initial coral settlement on the tiles, although, this does not necessarily infer low coral post-settlement mortality, which
may be enhanced at the near- and off-shore reefs as indicated by increased abundances of potential space
competitors on natural substrate. Blast fishing showed no local reduction in coral recruitment and live
hard coral cover increased in oligotrophic reefs, indicating potential for coral recovery, if managed
effectively.
Repository Name:
EPIC Alfred Wegener Institut
Type:
Article
,
isiRev
Format:
application/pdf
