The effects of increased sedimentation on the recruitment and population dynamics of juvenile corals at Cape Tribulation, North Queensland

Abstract

The aims of this study were to investigate the effects of increased sedimentation on the early life history stages of the corals, i.e. coral recruitment onto settlement plates and the recruitment and mortality of small corals. The region was divided into three zones which were predicted to be affected by the construction of the road to varying degrees. Two reefs were studied in each of the three zones, and the coral population parameters were compared among the zones.