Effects of habitat degradation on recruitment success of tropical fishes

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To understand how coral and seagrass habitat degradation affect settlement habitat choice and post-settlement survival and growth of reef fishes, we conducted field and laboratory experiments at Ishigaki and Iriomote Islands, southern Japan. The study showed that loss of live coral and seagrass cover negatively affected settlement habitat choice and post-settlement growth/ survival of individuals, indicating that any loss of specific nursery habitats will dampen the speed and sustainability of reproductive cycles of nursery-reliant species.