Wave energy and other environmental drivers as predictors of seeded-coral performance on the Great Barrier Reef

This dataset explores how wave energy affects the survival and growth of coral recruits on seeded devices. Data were collected to understand how environmental factors influence post-settlement coral survival, aiming to improve seeding device deployment strategies.Broodstock colonies of three Acropora species (A. hyacinthus, A. millepora, and A. tenuis) were collected and spawned at the Australian Institute of Marine Science. The resulting larvae were reared, settled onto devices, and deployed between January and February 2022 across wave energy gradients at Moore, Davies, and Heron Reefs on the Great Barrier Reef. Devices were placed at 10 sites per reef (n = 25 devices per site), spanning five wave-energy levels, and censused over 1.5 to 2 years. Environmental data included wave energy estimates, bottom stress, flow velocity, sedimentation, and benthic community composition. Analyses used Bayesian models to assess survival and size in relation to environmental predictors. The dataset supports research on fine-scale spatial variability in coral restoration outcomes.

本数据集探究波浪能对附着于接种式装置(seeded devices)上的珊瑚稚体(coral recruits)存活与生长的影响。本数据集的采集旨在厘清环境因子对珊瑚沉降后存活的调控机制，以期优化珊瑚接种装置的投放策略。研究团队在澳大利亚海洋科学研究所(Australian Institute of Marine Science, AIMS)采集了3种鹿角珊瑚属(Acropora)的亲代群落，分别为风信子鹿角珊瑚(A. hyacinthus)、盾形鹿角珊瑚(A. millepora)以及易变鹿角珊瑚(A. tenuis)，并对其开展产卵诱导。将孵化获得的珊瑚幼虫进行培育，待其附着于装置后，于2022年1-2月间部署于大堡礁的摩尔礁(Moore Reef)、戴维斯礁(Davies Reef)与赫伦礁(Heron Reef)的波浪能梯度样带中。每个礁体设置10个采样位点，每个位点投放25个装置(n=25)，覆盖5个波浪能水平，并开展了为期1.5至2年的野外普查。环境数据包含波浪能估算值、底床应力、流速、沉积速率以及底栖生物群落组成。研究采用贝叶斯模型(Bayesian models)分析了珊瑚存活与个体大小和环境预测因子之间的关联。本数据集可为探究珊瑚修复效果的精细空间异质性提供关键数据支撑。