Patterns of recruitment of sessile invertebrates in two subtidal habitats

Abstract

Recruitment of sessile marine invertebrates onto small panels at two subtidal sites in southern Australia varied considerably on all spatial and temporal scales. Recruitment at West Lakes was consistently higher than at Edithburgh, usually by an order of magnitude or more. There were strong seasonal trends in the number of recruits and the number of colonizing species per panel at West Lakes, but these trends were unclear at Edithburgh. Small panels received fewer recruits than did larger panels, although the number of recruits per cm2 did not change. Individual species showed similar patterns of recruitment. The temporal pattern varied from year-round settlement, with seasonal peaks (most s..