GBR - Coral calcification, 1672 - 2005 (MTSRF 1.1.5, AIMS)

The purpose of this study was to quantify patterns in skeletal density, linear extension and calcification throughout the GBR based on the AIMS Coral Core Archive of 328 colonies of massive Porites from 69 reefs. Annual data for the three growth parameters, skeletal density, annual extension, and calcification rate (the product of skeletal density and annual extension) were obtained from each colony using standard x-ray and gamma densitometry techniques. The data set contains 16,472 annual records, with corals ranging 10 – 436 years in age, most of which were collected in two periods covering 1983 – 1992 and 2002 – 2005. The oldest colony dates back to 1672.

As part of the Reef Atlas project (now the eAtlas) the calcification observations were interpolated over the whole GBR by Glenn De'ath using Generalized Additive Models. This produced a gridded version of the dataset and is available as a KML. For the original data contact Janice Lough.

Data Units:

Skeletal density: g / cm^3; Annual extension: cm / yr; Calcification: g / cm^2 / yr.

References:

- De'ath G, Lough JM, Fabricius KE (2009) Declining coral calcification on the Great Barrier Reef. Science 323: 116-119
- Cooper TF, De'ath G, Fabricius KE, Lough JM (2008). Declining coral calcification on the Great Barrier Reef. Global Change Biology 14: 529–538
- Lough JM, Barnes DJ (2000) Environmental controls on growth of the massive coral Porites. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 245: 225-243