In the early stages after larval settlement, coral spat can be rapidly overgrown and outcompeted by algae, reducing overall survival for coral reef replenishment and supply for restoration programs. Here we investigated three antifouling (AF) coatings for their ability to inhibit algal fouling on coral settlement plugs, a commonly-used restoration substrate. Plugs were either fully or partially coated with the AF coatings and incubated in mesocosm systems with partial recirculation for 37 days to track fouling succession. In addition, settlement of Acropora tenuis larvae was measured to determine whether AF coatings were a settlement deterrent. Uncoated control plugs became heavily fouled, yielding only 4–8% bare substrate on upper surfaces after 37 days. During this period, an encapsulated dichlorooctylisothiazolinone (DCOIT)-coating was most effective in reducing fouling, yielding 61–63% bare substrate. Antiadhesive and cerium dioxide (CeO2−x) nanoparticle (NP) coatings were less effective, yielding 11–17% and 2% bare substrate, respectively. Average settlement of A. tenuis larvae on the three types of AF-coated plugs did not statistically differ from settlement on uncoated controls. However, settlement on the NP-coating was generally the highest and was significantly higher than settlement found on the antiadhesive- and DCOIT-coating. Furthermore, on plugs only partially-covered with AF coatings, larval settlement on coated NP- areas was significantly higher than settlement on coated antiadhesive- and DCOIT-areas. These results demonstrate that AF coatings can reduce fouling intensity on biologically-relevant timescales while preserving robust levels of coral settlement. This represents an important step towards reducing fine-scale competition with benthic fouling organisms in coral breeding and propagation.

Behavioral responses are considered sensitive and effective indicators of organism stress. As the demand for standardized coral toxicity tests grows, innovative tools that allow for automatic and quantitative measurements of these behaviors may complement ecotoxicological studies. The rapid growth of competitive marine algae in aquaculture systems is a major issue for generating coral spat for reef restoration, and the application of non-toxic antifouling (AF) coatings might effectively mitigate this issue. While these coatings do not appear to be toxic to sensitive coral larvae, their potential to affect larval mobility has not been tested. In this context, we tested the effect of three recently-developed and potentially non-toxic AF coatings: (i) antiadhesive, (ii) cerium dioxide (CeO2-x) nanoparticle, and (iii) encapsulated biocide dichlorooctylisothiazolinone (DCOIT) on the swimming velocity and activity of Acropora millepora coral larvae for potential use in reef-restoration activities. The behavior of 32 coral larvae per AF treatment were recorded, each for 25 min, in a self-constructed dark box with two camera recording sets in parallel. The tracking analysis was performed with the software Noldus EthoVision XT. The mean larval swimming velocity on control tiles of 93.1 ± 5.6 mm min-1 (and activity of 62.8 ± 5.2%) was nearly 2-fold faster (higher) than on the antiadhesive, (CeO2-x) nanoparticle and DCOIT coatings, respectively. Larvae exposed to the DCOIT-coated tiles remained almost stationary. Although the underlying cause and consequence of these results require further investigation, tracking of coral larval swimming behavior was identified as a reliable and feasible method for assessing potential non-lethal responses to AF coatings. As changes in behavior could have significant consequences for larval survival and settlement, they are important endpoints to consider, and the quantification of behavioral responses may be a meaningful and sensitive tool. Therefore, we recommend the use of behavioral studies for coral larval assessments in ecotoxicology as a valuable endpoint. For methodological standardization and implementation, our study also features a detailed guide for video-processing and track analysis of A. millepora coral larvae in EthoVision.