Fish species vary in their reproductive strategies, from live birthing (e.g., certain sharks) to targeted release of gametes (e.g., salmon). Most larval fish stages must feed by the time their yolk is depleted. Availability of prey, climatic/oceanographic conditions, predation, stranding, pollution, and various natural & artificial disturbance can affect larval stages and thus recruitment of young into the juvenile-adult population. Although recruitment rates will naturally vary, measuring trends in rate for individual or many species across years or decades will provide important information about coastal ecosystem health.