The occurrence and distribution of juvenile hermatypic Scleractinia were studied from depths of 3-32 m, on the coral reef at the southwest coast of Curacao. In sixty, one m super(2) quadrants over natural hard substrata, some 917 juvenile colonies belonging to 24 species were counted. The most common juveniles present over the year-long study period were polyps and small colonies (less than four cm) of Agaricia agaricites). There was a striking absence of juveniles of some common reef species such as Acropora palmata and Montastraea annularis. This suggests important differences in the reproductive strategies and life histories of these corals. Some 400 juveniles were observed every fortnight over a period of six months. Only 37% of these juvenile corals remained unharmed by biological and physical factors during this period.