Enhancing coral larvae culture methods and settlement for coral reef restoration

Corals have a bi-phasic life cycle, with dispersive larvae that are crucial for maintaining and interconnecting coral populations. However, high mortality during early-life stages creates a critical bottleneck for successful settlement and recruitment. Coral restoration efforts using enhanced larval supply provide pathways to recover degraded reefs, but methods need to be optimised for large-scale outcomes. While coral larvae are generally classified as non-feeding and assumed to be reliant on endogenous maternal lipid stores, previous research has demonstrated that some coral species can supplement these endogenous reserves. Maximising coral larval health is critical for restoration initiatives, yet larval feeding during ex situ culture remains under-explored despite increasing research on optimising rearing protocols. Therefore, the aim of this research was to determine whether supplemental feeding could enhance the efficiency of producing coral settlers for larval-based restoration methods.