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Effects of artificial settlement plate materials and methods of deployment on the sessile epibenthic community development in a tropical environment

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Abstract

The choice of substrata and the methods of deployment in analyses of settlement in benthic communities are often driven by the cost of materials and their local availability, and comparisons are often made between studies using different methodologies. The effects of varying artificial substratum, size of replicates and method of deployment were determined on a shallow reef in Eilat, Israel, while the effect of size of replicates was also investigated on a shallow reef in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt. When statistical power was high enough, that is, when sufficient numbers of settlers were recorded, significant differences were found between materials used, tile size and methods of deployment. Significant differences were detected in total coral settlement rates and for the two dominant taxonomic groups, acroporids and pocilloporids. Standardisation of tile materials, dimensions, and method of deployment is needed for comparison between coral and other epibiont settlement studies. However, a greater understanding of the effects of these experimental variables on settlement processes may enable retrospective comparisons between studies utilising a range of materials and methods.

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Acknowledgments

We wish to thank the Inter-University Institute for Marine Science in Israel for the use of the facilities and access to the research location in Israel; Susan Clarke for comments on the manuscript and Kim Brooks; Dan Mayor and Alex Field for logistical support. This study was funded by the Natural Environmental Research Council, UK.

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Author notes

  1. S. N. Field

    Present address: Leeuwin Ocean Adventure Foundation, PO Box 1100, Fremantle, 6959, WA, Australia

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Biology, University of Newcastle, Newcastle Upon Tyne, NE1 7RU, UK

    S. N. Field & J. Bythell

  2. Inter-University Institute for Marine Science, PO Box 469, Eilat, Israel

    D. Glassom

  3. Oceanographic Research Institute, PO Box 10712, Durban, 4056, South Africa

    D. Glassom

  4. 41 Broome Street, Cottesloe, WA, 6011, Australia

    S. N. Field

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  1. S. N. Field
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  2. D. Glassom
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  3. J. Bythell
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Correspondence to S. N. Field.

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Communicated by Biology Editor H.R. Lasker.

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Field, S.N., Glassom, D. & Bythell, J. Effects of artificial settlement plate materials and methods of deployment on the sessile epibenthic community development in a tropical environment. Coral Reefs 26, 279–289 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00338-006-0191-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00338-006-0191-9

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