Browsing by Author "Prates, Carolina Maria Martinho"
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- Larval settlement among different substrates in the reef-building coral Acropora tenuisPublication . Prates, Carolina Maria Martinho; Vinagre, Catarina; Silva, AnaCoral bleaching and tropical storms are becoming more frequent due to climate change. These events will negatively impact the composition and community structure of coral reefs. It is important to understand how settlement protocols can be improved to maximize the efficiency of restoration projects. The hypothesis tested were the following: 1) Does inoculation with coralline algae (CCA) enhances larval settlement over ceramic and coral skeleton substrate? 2) Are there differences in the settlement rate over ceramic and coral skeleton substrate either with or without coralline inoculation and, 3) Are there differences in settlement outcomes between the different zones on the ceramic tiles? For the first and second hypothesis the settlement was higher when the substrate was inoculated with CCA showing significantly differences, while the presence of coral skeleton was non-significant in facilitating settlement. For the third hypothesis, the six different orientation zones on the ceramic tiles were: (1) within the grooves, (2) top surface, (3) side of horizontal tiles and (4) within the grooves, (5) top surface or (6) side of the vertical tile. With our results showing no differences in settlement among zones, which can be related to mechanisms to reduce post-settlement mortality mainly due to grazing, algal growth, and sedimentation. Hence, we suggest that CCA should be adopted in standard settlement protocols, with no benefits shown from the use of dead coral and specific zones of the ceramic tiles.