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GBR - Coral calcification (AIMS)

Posted on 14 February 2009

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.

  • Glenn De'ath
  • Janice Lough
Custodian(s)
  • Australian Institute of Marine Science
Owner Institution(s)

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

Data Units
Whole of Great Barrier Reef
Region & Spatial Extent
1672 - 2005
Data Collection
Complete
Maintenance & Update Frequency
Copyright remains with the data owners.
Resource Constraints

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

References
GBR_AIMS_Coral-calcification
Dataset Short Name
Google Earth Data
Reports
Topics