Automated ex situ spawning and fertilisation for reef restoration - the AutoSpawner system

This collection consists of data sheets, aquarium system design files and a programming data base for the AutoSpawner system. Data was collected for larvae produced using the AutoSpawner and traditional, manual coral spawning methods in November and December of 2022 for four species of broadcast spawning corals (Acropora kenti, Acropora loripes, Dipsastrea favus and Mycedium elephantotus) to assess the functioning and performance of the AutoSpawner system in the National Sea Simulator at AIMS headquarters in Townsville. For each spawning method data was collected on the number of eggs collected, sperm concentration, fertilisation success, larval survival and larval metamorphosis success. Data was analysed using Bayesian methods in the software R. For full methodological and analytical details please refer to the full research report, manuscript and supplementary materials. Definitions ofterms and abbreviations used in data files are defined in each associated analysis script file (.Rmd), located in the zipped folder of analysis files ("2022_AutoSpawner_AnalysisFiles").This research was funded by the Australian Government’s Reef Trust and the Great Barrier Reef Foundation through the Reef Restoration and Adaptation Program.