Directing coral larval settlement

Coral larval settlement is a major challenge in upscaling coral aquaculture for reef restoration. Settlement typically requires conditioned settlement substrates which poses labour and resource challenges. We addressed this by assessing settlement responses of 14 coral species to a suite of known and potential chemical inducers. We also tested the efficacy of a set of known chemical inducers and microtopographic cues to localise settlement. Data was collected from aquaria experiments conducted in the Sea Simulator in November and December of 2023 and November and December of 2024. Data was collected via microscope and image analysis.