A 107-year-old coral from Florida Bay: barometer of natural and man- induced catastrophes?
The 107-yr growth history of a massive coral Solenastrea bournoni from Florida Bay was reconstructed with X-ray imagery from a single 4 in. diameter (10 cm) core that penetrated the exact epicenter of the 95.3 cm high colony. Growth increments totalled 952.9 mm, averaging 8.9 mm/yr over the life of the coral. Growth rate trends in the Florida Bay coral were compared to those in a Montastraea annularis of similar age from a nearby patch reef on the Atlantic Ocean side of the Florida Keys. It was concluded that growth rate, at least in these specimens, is a questionable indicator of past hurricanes and freezes. There does appear to be, however, a possible cause-and-effect relationship between major man-induced environmental perturbations and a prolonged reduction in growth rate in each coral's growth record. -from Authors
Citation Information
Publication Year | 1989 |
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Title | A 107-year-old coral from Florida Bay: barometer of natural and man- induced catastrophes? |
Authors | J.H. Hudson, G. V. N. Powell, M. B. Robblee, T. J. Smith |
Publication Type | Article |
Publication Subtype | Journal Article |
Series Title | Bulletin of Marine Science |
Index ID | 70014901 |
Record Source | USGS Publications Warehouse |