CRB: Patterns of Recruitment, Early Growth and Survivorshipof two Opportunistic Corals, Pocillopora verrucosa and P. eydouxi, on a Disturbed Coral Reef.

有利于新物种成功殖民的条件 固着植物和动物的区域必须在 可以充分了解社区的动态和结构。 这 研究调查了可能导致 影响招募的人口模式，早期增长， 两种机会珊瑚Pocilloppora存活情况 verrucosa和P. eydouxi，它们正在使一种受干扰的珊瑚繁殖 珊瑚礁环境。 与丝状菌竞争的重要性 以及肉质藻类和保护免受食草动物的影响 并评估珊瑚苗和幼珊瑚的存活率 通过实地调查和操作实验。 生境- 将确定三个具体的人口统计参数， 斑块类型（丝状藻类高覆盖区， 高密度的肉质藻类，以及重放牧和高密度的地区， 礁后和礁前都有甲壳藻类覆盖 栖息地 珊瑚礁是世界上极其重要的栖息地 海洋. 这是第一次研究一个受干扰的 强调珊瑚礁镶嵌作用的自然景观 对幼珊瑚的建立和生长的影响。 藻类覆盖是一个 受干扰或退化的珊瑚礁上的重要变量， 恢复硬珊瑚群落。 理解这一 社区恢复的相互作用和基本进程是 对珊瑚礁系统的管理和养护至关重要。

The conditions that favor successful colonization of new areas by sessile plants and animals must be elucidated before community dynamics and structure can be fully understood. This study investigates habitat-specific factors that potentially affect the demographic patterns of recruitment, early growth, and survivorship of two species of opportunistic corals, Pocillopora verrucosa and P. eydouxi, that are recolonizing a disturbed coral reef environment. The importance of competition with filamentous and fleshy algae and protection from grazers on the distribution and survivorship of coral spat and young corals will be assessed with field surveys and manipulative experiments. Habitat- specific demographic parameters will be determined for three patch types (areas of high cover of filamentous algae, areas with high density of fleshy algae, and areas of heavy grazing and high cover of crustose algae) in both back-reef and fore-reef habitats. Coral reefs are extremely important habitats in the world's oceans. This is the first study of recolonization of a disturbed reef to emphasize the role of the mosaic nature of the landscape on establishment and growth of young corals. Algal cover is an important variable on disturbed or degraded reefs that may affect recovery of the hard coral community. Understanding this interaction and the underlying processes in community recovery is essential for management and conservation of coral reef systems.