Lesson plan key for identifying coral condition

Key used in an educational lesson plan for identifying the composition and condition of corals and coralline algae in a core. (a) Two examples of Pocillopora in good taphonomic condition (<50% erosion or encrustation of the skeleton). Intervals in cores during which Pocillopora skeletons dominate and are in good condition represent times of good coral growth and active reef development (b). (c) Example of core constituents from an interval representing poor coral growth and interrupted reef development (d). Such intervals are dominated by Pocillopora skeletons in poor taphonomic condition (“Poc. Poor”), Psammocora stellata skeletons (“Psam.”), and/or coralline algae (>50% erosion or encrustation of the skeleton).

For more information, see: https://tos.org/oceanography/article/digging-into-the-geologic-record-of-environmentally-driven-changes-in-coral-reef-development.