The global proliferation of marine infrastructure demands innovative eco-engineering solutions to mitigate ecological impacts. This study investigated how structural complexity and panel colour influence early colonization of intertidal communities. Concrete panels varying in complexity (complex, flat) and colour (green, grey, red, yellow) were deployed across four sites in Botany Bay, Australia, and censused for sessile cover and mobile abundances, as well as sessile cover in microhabitats at 2 and 4 months. Results consistently showed that structural complexity was the primary influence, with complex panels supporting significantly greater sessile cover. Colour effects were significant but interactive, exhibiting spatial and temporal variability. Initially, flat yellow panels at one site showed higher colonization, while by 4 months, green panels, particularly complex ones, attracted higher abundances of species at another site. Highly abundant species such as Austrominius modestus, Bembicium auratum, Patelloida mimuli, and Ulva australis, all had varying responses to colour at 4 months. Alternatively, colour effects were diminished in shaded microhabitats like crevices, suggesting unique relationships between visual cues and physical protection. This research underscores that while structural complexity is crucial, strategic colour application can be a supplementary eco-engineering tool, particularly when tailored to specific environmental contexts and target species.
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