[Coral-List] How important a food source is the wayward larvae?

[MelissaE Keyes]

 Hi, folks,
I had no idea how to word my title, sorry, it's a bit awkward.  
I was thinking about coral larvae that settle on the reef, but that are unable to find a suitable substrate on which to live.  They are prey for other creatures, no?  Tiny shrimps and crabs and juvenile or tiny fish?  How will a reef be impacted by the loss of mature corals that create such a miniscule-sized abundance of food?  Will the juvenile corals that do attach be attacked, because the unattached numbers have been reduced so drastically that the abundance is gone?
Cheers,
Melissa~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Melissa E. Keyes St. Croix, U.S.Virgin Islands