<![CDATA[Graphical Abstract Highlight Research 1. Ship-grounding sites showed distinct spatial patterns in coral reef benthic condition between Control, Dispersal, and Trajectory zones. 2. Trajectory zones show drastic coral loss and high rubble dominance. 3. Dispersal zones exhibit variable recovery potential depending on substrate stability. 4. The Recovery Potential Index provides an early assessment of recovery potential based on post-grounding benthic conditions, rather than evidence of realized or long-term reef recovery. Abstract Ship grounding physically disturbs coral reefs, yet standardized evidence linking spatial benthic condition with recovery potential across multiple incidents remains limited. This study compared benthic community composition and recovery potential among spatial-reference Control, Dispersal, and Trajectory zones following 18 verified ship-grounding incidents in Indonesian Marine Protected Areas during 2018–2024. An observational post-grounding assessment comprised 108 underwater photo transects, with two transects per zone and incident, surveyed 7–30 days after each grounding. Benthic composition differed among zones (location-blocked PERMANOVA: pseudo-F₂,₁₀₅ = 17.479, R² = 0.2498, p = 0.0001), although multivariate dispersion also varied (PERMDISP: F₂,₁₀₅ = 18.432, p = 0.0001), limiting interpretation of centroid separation alone. Mean hard-coral cover declined across Control, Dispersal, and Trajectory zones (44.99 ± 3.89%, 14.76 ± 1.31%, and 1.96 ± 0.53%, respectively), whereas rubble cover was 4.65 ± 1.12%, 13.70 ± 2.56%, and 35.75 ± 5.21%. Low recovery potential was assigned to 13.9%, 61.1%, and 83.3% of transects, respectively. The Benthic Component Index likewise indicated more favorable conditions in Control zones and the least favorable conditions along vessel trajectories. Together, these spatial comparisons reveal contrasting coral cover, substrate condition, and estimated recovery potential across grounding-associated zones. However, Control sites provided spatial references rather than pre-impact baselines, preventing attribution of observed differences to temporal changes caused by grounding. The Recovery Potential Index describes early habitat conditions, not realized recovery; repeated long-term monitoring is needed to establish whether these classifications correspond to subsequent reef recovery and to inform site-specific monitoring and rehabilitation decisions within these protected marine areas.]]>
