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There is currently very limited information around the spatial patterns of coral recruitment at mesophotic depths globally. This study investigated depth-related differences in coral recruitment patterns from shallow (~ 3 m) to mesophotic depths (~ 40 m) in the Indian Ocean. A new method is described for assessing coral recruitment, which allows for the improved study of recruitment patterns on deep reefs globally, as the method does not require SCUBA diving. This method allows for comparisons with other studies as there appears to be no influence on the density, composition, or settlement orientation of recruits relative to the most commonly used methods. Using this method, we investigated coral recruitment at Ningaloo Reef, Western Australia, finding the abundance of coral recruits varied significantly with depth and was highest at 25 m. The size of coral recruits changed significantly with depth, with …