Resilience to periodic disturbances and the long-term genetic stability in Acropora coral

Terracotta settlement tiles were deployed at 18 sites at six of seven reef slope locations monitored through permanent transect sites on the Scott Reef systems. During nine years between 1996 - 2013 settlement tiles were deployed and collected after one month either side of the coral spawning. At each of the sites, groups of six settlement tiles (10 cm x 10 cm) were spaced at 60 m along the permanent transect site, at distances of 30 - 100 cm apart (n-108 tiles total). Density of colony sizes and growth and survival of colonies were recorded. Tissue samples were collected from 982 colonies of a corymbose Acropora (Acropora sp.) at five timepoints (2004, 2009, 2014, 2015, and 2021 for microsatellite genotyping and whole genomes sequencing.