Dataset: Phillips_et_al_2014 - Settlement to Rubble
Deployment: Osenberg_et_al_Moorea

On 02 October 2008, ten pairs of small focal patch reefs (2–6 m2 in area) were selected that were predominately (80 %) live Porites lobata and separated from nearest neighbouring reefs by at least 0.5 m of sand. One member of each pair of reefs lacked populations of adult C.maximum; the other member of the pair had C.maximum adults present. Although these were not quantified, densities appeared approximately similar to densities on P. lobata reefs reported elsewhere (e.g., Shima et al. 2010). These reefs also had corresponding morphological differences: i.e., reefs without vermetids were rounded, and those with vermetids were flattened (see Shima et al. 2010).

Pieces of coral rubble, approximately elliptical in shape and similar in size (average maximum length 9 width 9 height±SD=12±1.298±1.697±1.7cm),were collected from the lagoon in Moorea, French Polynesia on 01 October 2008. Rubble was soaked in freshwater overnight, scrubbed with brushes to remove fouling organisms, and dried in full sun for 3 d.

A single piece of rubble (whose surface area was estimated using the equation for an ellipsoid) was attached to each reef on 04 October 2008 with cable-ties that were affixed to the reef using marine epoxy. The pieces of coral rubble were collected from the reefs after 6 months (in April 2009, n = 17 due to three rubble pieces missing) and examined in the laboratory, where vermetid settlers were counted and identified to species.