Substantial asexual recruitment of mushroom corals contributes little to population genetics of adults in conditions of chronic sedimentation.

The contribution of asexual versus sexual recruitment to populations of the mushroom coral Fungia fungites was investigated at 2 sites with contrasting sediment regimes, located 5 km apart in the Dampier Archipelago, Western Australia. One site was exposed to high levels of chronic sedimentation, and the second site received less than half the sediment load.

A total of 120 specimens (buds) were collected from each of the 2 study sites for DNA analysis and sediment deposition was also measured.