Current velocity, water quality, and benthic taxa as predictors for coral recruitment rates on the Great Barrier Reef.

ABSTRACT: Coral reefs worldwide are experiencing frequent disturbances, rendering coral recruitment critical for population recovery. This large-scale study identifies environmental, spatial, and biotic drivers of coral recruit densities at 141 stations stratified across seven regions and three depths (1, 5, and 15 m depths) with contrasting environmental conditions across and along the Great Barrier Reef and the Torres Strait. Settlement tiles were deployed for two years, with coral densities and benthic cover quantified following retrieval. Benthic communities were assessed from tile images using the point-classification AI program ReefCloud. Environmental data were derived from in situ readings and environmental models. Across all sites, coral recruit densities averaged 187 ±  12 m‒2 (SE), with r

SUBMITTER: Drake MA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11940690 | biostudies-literature | 2025

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature