The influence of sediment on the growth and distribution of corals was recognised more than a 100 years ago (Wood-Jones, 1912). Through field observations and laboratory experiments these early studies demonstrated that corals have species-specific tolerances to sedimentation (Crossland, 1928; Edmondson, 1928; Mayer, 1918; Vaughan, 1919). Importantly, these studies recognised that sediment can have interactive effects, including with other variables such as salinity and temperature, on coral growth and survival.