Coral Recruitment on a Local Scale in Amitori Bay, Iriomote Island, Estimated by Settlement Plates and Numerical Analysis

Amitori Bay, Iriomote Island, maintains its coral populations primarily through local recruitment, with most larvae traveling less than 400 meters and a maximum distance of 5.5 km. The study found that the recruitment of dominant coral species, such as Acroporidae, was positively correlated with nearby coral community abundance. By analyzing settlement plate data and combining it with numerical models for seawater flow and particle tracking, researchers determined that larvae supply comes mainly from the bay's immediate surroundings, suggesting self-sustaining coral populations within Amitori Bay.

NAKAMURA, M., MURAKAMI, T., KHONO, H., NODA, W., MATSUSHITA, Y., & MIZUTANI, A. (2017). CORAL RECRUITMENT ON A LOCAL SCALE IN AMITORI BAY, IRIOMOTE ISLAND, ESTIMATED BY SETTLEMENT PLATES AND NUMERICAL ANALYSIS. Journal of Japan Society of Civil Engineers, Ser. B2 (Coastal Engineering), 73(2), I. https://doi.org/10.2208/kaigan.73.i_1279