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Anastasios Stathakopoulos

Anastasios Stathakopoulos is a Physical Scientist at the St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center in St. Petersburg, Florida.

Science and Products

Image: Flat Cays, U.S. Virgin Islands Coral Reef

Coral Reef Ecosystem Studies (CREST)

The specific objectives of this project are to identify and describe the processes that are important in determining rates of coral-reef construction. How quickly the skeletons of calcifying organisms accumulate to form massive barrier-reef structure is determined by processes of both construction (how fast organisms grow and reproduce) and destruction (how fast reefs break down by mechanical...
By
Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center, Coral Microbial Ecology Laboratory
Coral Reef Ecosystem Studies (CREST)

Coral Reef Ecosystem Studies (CREST)

The specific objectives of this project are to identify and describe the processes that are important in determining rates of coral-reef construction. How quickly the skeletons of calcifying organisms accumulate to form massive barrier-reef structure is determined by processes of both construction (how fast organisms grow and reproduce) and destruction (how fast reefs break down by mechanical...
Learn More
Calcification monitoring station with a colony of the massive starlet coral, Siderastrea siderea, fastened in place.

Measuring Coral Growth to Help Restore Reefs

It is critical to start measuring calcification rates in a systematic way now, particularly at subtropical latitudes where conditions fluctuate seasonally, so that we can understand how dynamic ocean conditions affect calcifying organisms today and predict possible changes in the future. We established a calcification monitoring network in the Florida Keys and have been measuring calcification...
By
St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center
Measuring Coral Growth to Help Restore Reefs

Measuring Coral Growth to Help Restore Reefs

It is critical to start measuring calcification rates in a systematic way now, particularly at subtropical latitudes where conditions fluctuate seasonally, so that we can understand how dynamic ocean conditions affect calcifying organisms today and predict possible changes in the future. We established a calcification monitoring network in the Florida Keys and have been measuring calcification...
Learn More
Filter Total Items: 14

Carbonate Budgets, Structure-from-Motion Products, and Topographic Complexity Measurements From Restored and Non-restored Areas of Coral Reefs in the Lower Florida Keys Carbonate Budgets, Structure-from-Motion Products, and Topographic Complexity Measurements From Restored and Non-restored Areas of Coral Reefs in the Lower Florida Keys

During the summers of 2022 and 2023, U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) researchers conducted underwater surveys aimed at quantifying the impact that past coral restoration by Mote Marine Laboratory had on the reef-accretion process. The surveys were conducted along paired transects representing restored and non-restored areas of eight offshore reefs and three patch-reef sites in the Lower...
By
St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center

The Relative Composition of Late Pleistocene Coral Reefs in the Florida Keys The Relative Composition of Late Pleistocene Coral Reefs in the Florida Keys

The U.S. Geological Survey St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center’s (USGS SPCMSC) Core Archive in St. Petersburg, FL contains a collection of coral-reef cores collected from throughout the Florida Keys reef tract (FKRT; Fig. 1). In a previous study (Toth and Stathakopoulos, 2019), USGS researchers analyzed the upper, Holocene (~11,700 years ago to present) sections of those...
By
Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center

Radiometric Ages and Descriptive Data for Late Holocene Acropora spp. Corals From Dry Tortugas National Park Radiometric Ages and Descriptive Data for Late Holocene Acropora spp. Corals From Dry Tortugas National Park

This data release compiles radiometric data, photographs, and descriptive collection information (location, elevation, etc.) for late Holocene sub-fossil Acropora palmata and A. cervicornis coral samples collected from the coral reefs of Dry Tortugas National Park, Florida (DRTO) from 2015 to 2023. The samples were collected under scientific research permits from the U.S. National Park...
By
Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center

U-series Ages and Elevation Data of Late Pleistocene Corals From the Florida Keys U-series Ages and Elevation Data of Late Pleistocene Corals From the Florida Keys

This data release compiles Uranium-series (U-series) data and descriptive collection information (such as sample/core identifier, location, elevation, etc.) for late Pleistocene coral subsamples from coral-reef cores previously collected throughout the Florida Keys by U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) researchers. The samples were collected under scientific research permits from the Florida...
By
Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center

Experimental Coral-Physiology Data for Acropora palmata in Florida, USA Experimental Coral-Physiology Data for Acropora palmata in Florida, USA

The USGS Coral Reef Ecosystems Studies (CREST) project provides science that helps Department of Interior and other resource managers tasked with the stewardship of coral reef resources. This data release contains data on coral physiology of the elkhorn coral, Acropora palmata, grown at five sites along the Florida outer reef tract including in Biscayne National Park, the Florida Keys...
By
Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center

Experimental Coral-Growth Data and Time-Series Imagery for Acropora palmata and Pseudodiploria strigosa in St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands Experimental Coral-Growth Data and Time-Series Imagery for Acropora palmata and Pseudodiploria strigosa in St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands

The U.S. Geological Survey Coral Reef Ecosystems Studies project (CREST) provides science that helps Department of Interior and other resource managers tasked with the stewardship of coral reef resources. This data release contains data on coral-growth rates and time-series photographs taken of colonies of the elkhorn coral, Acropora palmata, and the symmetrical brain coral...
By
Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center

Experimental Coral-growth and Physiological Data and Time-series Imagery for Porites astreoides in the Florida Keys, U.S.A. Experimental Coral-growth and Physiological Data and Time-series Imagery for Porites astreoides in the Florida Keys, U.S.A.

The USGS Coral Reef Ecosystems Studies project provides science that helps resource managers tasked with the stewardship of coral reef resources. This data release contains data on coral-growth rates and time-series photographs taken of colonies of the mustard hill coral, Porites astreoides, grown at four sites on the Florida Keys reef tract from spring 2015 to spring 2017. The data will...
By
Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center

Radiometric Ages and Descriptive Data for Holocene Corals From Southeast Florida Radiometric Ages and Descriptive Data for Holocene Corals From Southeast Florida

This data release compiles descriptive information (location, water depth, etc.) and radiometric ages from corals collected through the Southeast Florida Continental Reef Tract (SFCRT; fig. 1). The database includes data from studies published between 1977 and 2015 as well as previously unpublished data. The samples were originally collected using coral-reef coring or other geologic...
By
Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center

Experimental coral-growth data and time-series imagery for Acropora palmata in the Florida Keys, U.S.A. Experimental coral-growth data and time-series imagery for Acropora palmata in the Florida Keys, U.S.A.

The USGS Coral Reef Ecosystems Studies project (https://coastal.er.usgs.gov/crest/) provides science that helps resource managers tasked with the stewardship of coral reef resources. This data release contains data on coral-growth rates and time-series photographs taken of colonies of the elkhorn coral, Acropora palmata, grown at five sites on the Florida Keys reef tract from spring 2018...
By
Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center

South Florida Holocene Coral Sea-level Database South Florida Holocene Coral Sea-level Database

Holocene-aged coral samples from the south Florida region were extensively characterized to create a new database of verified sea-level data (Stathakopoulos and others, in review). The samples were originally collected using coral-reef coring or other geologic sampling methods and were obtained by several different researchers from studies spanning the interval of 1977 to 2017. Many of...
By
Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center

The Absolute and Relative Composition of Holocene Reef Cores From the Florida Keys Reef Tract The Absolute and Relative Composition of Holocene Reef Cores From the Florida Keys Reef Tract

This data release provides a summary of the absolute percent composition of all recovered material and relative percent composition of coral taxa in the Holocene-aged intervals of 61 coral-reef cores collected throughout the Florida Keys reef tract (FKRT) housed in the USGS Core Archive in St. Petersburg, FL. Estimated ages for distinct depths within each core are also provided; those...
By
Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center

Experimental Data on Construction and Erosion of Orbicella Coral Reefs in the Florida Keys, U.S.A. Experimental Data on Construction and Erosion of Orbicella Coral Reefs in the Florida Keys, U.S.A.

The USGS Coral Reef Ecosystems Studies project provides science that helps resource managers tasked with the stewardship of coral reef resources. This data release contains data on coral-growth rates for Orbicella sp. coral colonies grown at five sites on the Florida Keys reef tract from 2013 to 2015, survey data for census-based carbonate budgeting at Hen and Chickens Reef (Islamorada...
By
Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center
Two divers use a tripod and drill to take a coral core
USGS scientists drill a coral-reef core in the Florida Keys
USGS scientists drill a coral-reef core in the Florida Keys
Two divers use a tripod and drill to take a coral core

USGS scientists drill a coral-reef core in the Florida Keys

USGS scientists drill a coral-reef core in the Florida Keys

Research Oceanographer Lauren Toth and student volunteer Liz Whitcher drill a coral-reef core from a reef off Key West, Florida, in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. Photo taken under research permit FKNMS-2015-058. Credit: Anastasios Stathakopoulos, USGS.

By
Water Resources Mission Area, Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center, Communications and Publishing
Two divers use a tripod and drill to take a coral core

USGS scientists drill a coral-reef core in the Florida Keys

USGS scientists drill a coral-reef core in the Florida Keys

Research Oceanographer Lauren Toth and student volunteer Liz Whitcher drill a coral-reef core from a reef off Key West, Florida, in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. Photo taken under research permit FKNMS-2015-058. Credit: Anastasios Stathakopoulos, USGS.

By
Water Resources Mission Area, Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center, Communications and Publishing
Filter Total Items: 16

Coral restoration can drive rapid increases in reef accretion potential Coral restoration can drive rapid increases in reef accretion potential

Coral-reef degradation is disrupting the balance between reef accretion and erosion and threatening the persistence of essential coral-reef habitats. In south Florida, most reefs are already net eroding, and without intervention, valuable ecosystem services may be lost. Coral restoration holds the potential to reverse those trends; however, typical restoration monitoring does not...
Authors
Lauren Toth, Selena Johnson, Erin Lyons, Jason Spadaro, Anastasios Stathakopoulos, Sierra Kathleen Bloomer, Jennifer Mallon, Connor Monroe Jenkins, Sara D. Williams, Ian Combs, Zachary Craig, Erinn Muller
By
St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center

Shifting baselines of coral-reef species composition from the Late Pleistocene to the present in the Florida Keys Shifting baselines of coral-reef species composition from the Late Pleistocene to the present in the Florida Keys

The ongoing global-scale reassembly of modern coral reefs is unprecedented compared with the observed stability of most late Quaternary reef assemblages. One notable exception is the marine isotope stage (MIS) 5e (ca 130–116 thousand years ago [ka]) reefs in the Florida Keys, where the ubiquitous shallow-water coral, Acropora palmata, was near absent. Little is known, however, about...
Authors
Lauren Toth, Anastasios Stathakopoulos, Scarlette Shan-Hwei Hsia, David Weinstein
By
St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center, Florence Bascom Geoscience Center

Discovery of late Holocene-aged Acropora palmata reefs in Dry Tortugas National Park, Florida, USA: The past as a key to the future? Discovery of late Holocene-aged Acropora palmata reefs in Dry Tortugas National Park, Florida, USA: The past as a key to the future?

Emblematic of global coral-reef ecosystem decline, the coral ecosystem-engineer Acropora palmata is now rare throughout much of the western Atlantic. Understanding when and where this foundation species occurred during the past can provide information about the environmental limits defining its distribution through space and time. In this paper, the present, historical and newly dated...
Authors
Anastasios Stathakopoulos, Lauren Toth, Peter Modys, Selena Johnson, Ilsa Kuffner
By
St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center

Acute heat stress and the extirpation of a threatened coral species from a remote, subtropical reef system Acute heat stress and the extirpation of a threatened coral species from a remote, subtropical reef system

The ecological significance of the reef-building elkhorn coral, Acropora palmata, is threatened by heat-stress-induced mortality. The intensity and duration of the ocean heatwave affecting Dry Tortugas National Park in the summer of 2023 was historically unprecedented in its early timing and maximum temperatures reached and resulted in 100% A. palmata mortality. To understand the...
Authors
Ava Madeline Thompson, Anastasios Stathakopoulos, Karli J. Hollister, Amelia M. Lynch, Jordan C. Holder, Ilsa Kuffner
By
St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center

Heterotrophy, microbiome, and location effects on restoration efficacy of the threatened coral Acropora palmata Heterotrophy, microbiome, and location effects on restoration efficacy of the threatened coral Acropora palmata

The iconic and threatened Caribbean coral, Acropora palmata, is an essential reef-ecosystem engineer. Understanding the processes underpinning this coral’s survival and growth is essential to restoring this foundational species. Here, we compared replicate A. palmata colonies transplanted along 350 km of Florida’s offshore coral reef to determine holobiont and/or environmental variables...
Authors
Leila Chapron, Ilsa Kuffner, Dustin Kemp, Ann Hulver, Elise Keister, Anastasios Stathakopoulos, Lucy Bartlett, Erin Lyons, Andrea G. Grottoli
By
Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center

The potential for coral reef restoration to mitigate coastal flooding as sea levels rise The potential for coral reef restoration to mitigate coastal flooding as sea levels rise

The ability of reefs to protect coastlines from storm-driven flooding hinges on their capacity to keep pace with sea-level rise. Here, we show how and whether coral restoration could achieve the often-cited goal of reversing the impacts of coral-reef degradation to preserve this essential function. We combined coral-growth measurements and carbonate-budget assessments of reef-accretion...
Authors
Lauren Toth, Curt Storlazzi, Elizabeth Whitcher, Ilsa Kuffner, Ellen Quataert, Johan Reyns, Robert McCall, Anastasios Stathakopoulos, Zandy Hillis-Starr, Nathaniel Holloway, Kristin Ewen, Clayton Pollock, Tess Code, Richard Aronson
By
Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center, St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center

Climate and the latitudinal limits of subtropical reef development Climate and the latitudinal limits of subtropical reef development

Climate plays a central role in coral-reef development, especially in marginal environments. The high-latitude reefs of southeast Florida are currently non-accreting, relict systems with low coral cover. This region also did not support the extensive Late Pleistocene reef development observed in many other locations around the world; however, there is evidence of significant reef...
Authors
Lauren Toth, William Precht, Alexander Modys, Anastasios Stathakopoulos, Martha Robbart, J. Hudson, Anton Olenik, Bernhard Riegl, Eugene Shinn, Richard Aronson
By
Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center

Physiological differences in bleaching response of the coral Porites astreoides along the Florida Keys reef tract during high-temperature stress Physiological differences in bleaching response of the coral Porites astreoides along the Florida Keys reef tract during high-temperature stress

The Florida Keys reef tract (FKRT) has a unique geological history wherein Holocene sea-level rise and bathymetry interacted, resulting in a reef-building system with notable spatial differences in reef development. Overprinted on this geologic history, recent global and local stressors have led to degraded reefs dominated by fleshy algae, soft corals, and sponges. Here, we assessed how...
Authors
Elizabeth Lenz, Lucy Bartlett, Anastasios Stathakopoulos, Ilsa Kuffner
By
Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center

Reestablishing a stepping-stone population of the threatened elkhorn coral Acropora palmata to aid regional recovery Reestablishing a stepping-stone population of the threatened elkhorn coral Acropora palmata to aid regional recovery

Recovery of the elkhorn coral Acropora palmata is critical to reversing coral reef ecosystem collapse in the western Atlantic, but the species is severely threatened. To gauge potential for the species’ restoration in Florida, USA, we conducted an assisted migration experiment where 50 coral fragments of 5 nursery-raised genetic strains (genets) from the upper Florida Keys were moved to...
Authors
Ilsa Kuffner, Anastasios Stathakopoulos, Lauren Toth, Lucy Bartlett
By
Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center

A revised Holocene coral sea-level database from the Florida reef tract, USA A revised Holocene coral sea-level database from the Florida reef tract, USA

The coral reefs and mangrove habitats of the south Florida region have long been used in sea-level studies for the western Atlantic because of their broad geographic extent and composition of sea-level tracking biota. The data from this region have been used to support several very different Holocene sea-level reconstructions (SLRs) over the years. However, many of these SLRs did not...
Authors
Anastasios Stathakopoulos, Bernhard Riegl, Lauren Toth
By
Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center

The unprecedented loss of Florida's reef-building corals and the emergence of a novel coral-reef assemblage The unprecedented loss of Florida's reef-building corals and the emergence of a novel coral-reef assemblage

Over the last half century, climate change, coral disease, and other anthropogenic disturbances have restructured coral-reef ecosystems on a global scale. The disproportionate loss of once-dominant, reef-building taxa has facilitated relative increases in the abundance of “weedy” or stress-tolerant coral species. Although the recent transformation of coral-reef assemblages is...
Authors
Lauren Toth, Anastasios Stathakopoulos, Ilsa Kuffner, Robert Ruzicka, Michael Colella, Eugene Shinn
By
Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center

Improving estimates of coral reef construction and erosion with in-situ measurements Improving estimates of coral reef construction and erosion with in-situ measurements

The decline in living coral since the 1970s has conspicuously slowed reef construction on a global scale, but the related process of reef erosion is less visible and not often quantified. Here we present new data on the constructional and deconstructional side of the carbonate-budget equation in the Florida Keys, U.S.A. We documented Orbicella spp. calcification rates at four offshore...
Authors
Ilsa Kuffner, Lauren Toth, J. Hudson, William Goodwin, Anastasios Stathakopoulos, Lucy Bartlett, Elizabeth Whitcher
By
Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center
Protocols for improving sea-level reconstructions in the western Atlantic

Protocols for improving sea-level reconstructions in the western Atlantic

Anastasios Stathakopoulos (Oceanographer) and Lauren Toth (Research Oceanographer) published a new article titled “A revised Holocene coral sea-level...

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New USGS manuscript documents unprecedented shift in coral species composition of Florida’s reefs

New USGS manuscript documents unprecedented shift in coral species composition of Florida’s reefs

Lauren Toth (Research Oceanographer, SPCMSC), Ilsa Kuffner (Research Marine Biologist, SPCMSC), and Anastasios Stathakopoulos (Oceanographer) led a...

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Coral-reef research featured in Science Magazine news article

Coral-reef research featured in Science Magazine news article

A news feature published last week in Science Magazine highlights research by SPCMSC scientists into the problem of reef erosion in the Florida Keys.

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New paper published on Florida Keys coral reef construction and erosion

New paper published on Florida Keys coral reef construction and erosion

A team of four scientists from St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center and collaborators from NOAA and Florida Institute of Technology...

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Scientists to Attend "Reef Futures 2018" Symposium on Reef Restoration

Scientists to Attend "Reef Futures 2018" Symposium on Reef Restoration

Research Marine Biologist Ilsa Kuffner, Research Oceanographer Lauren Toth, and Oceanographer Anastasios Stathakopoulos will travel to Key Largo, FL...

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New coral reef study to begin at Buck Island National Park Service unit on St. Croix

New coral reef study to begin at Buck Island National Park Service unit on St. Croix

Scientists travel to Buck Island Reef National Monument to plan a new study and to assess hurricane impacts to the coral reefs surrounding Buck Island...

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USGS scientists investigate the millennial-scale history of the "Threatened" elkhorn coral in Dry Tortugas National Park

USGS scientists investigate the millennial-scale history of the "Threatened" elkhorn coral in Dry Tortugas National Park

Dr. Lauren Toth (Research Oceanographer, SPCMSC) and Anastasios Stathakopoulos (Oceanographer, SPCMSC) will collaborate with the National Park Service...

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New Coral Reef Study to Begin at Buck Island National Monument

New Coral Reef Study to Begin at Buck Island National Monument

Research Marine Biologist Ilsa Kuffner, Research Oceanographer Lauren Toth, and Oceanographer Anastasios Stathakopoulos, will travel to Buck Island...

Read Article

Science and Products

Image: Flat Cays, U.S. Virgin Islands Coral Reef

Coral Reef Ecosystem Studies (CREST)

The specific objectives of this project are to identify and describe the processes that are important in determining rates of coral-reef construction. How quickly the skeletons of calcifying organisms accumulate to form massive barrier-reef structure is determined by processes of both construction (how fast organisms grow and reproduce) and destruction (how fast reefs break down by mechanical...
By
Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center, Coral Microbial Ecology Laboratory
Coral Reef Ecosystem Studies (CREST)

Coral Reef Ecosystem Studies (CREST)

The specific objectives of this project are to identify and describe the processes that are important in determining rates of coral-reef construction. How quickly the skeletons of calcifying organisms accumulate to form massive barrier-reef structure is determined by processes of both construction (how fast organisms grow and reproduce) and destruction (how fast reefs break down by mechanical...
Learn More
Calcification monitoring station with a colony of the massive starlet coral, Siderastrea siderea, fastened in place.

Measuring Coral Growth to Help Restore Reefs

It is critical to start measuring calcification rates in a systematic way now, particularly at subtropical latitudes where conditions fluctuate seasonally, so that we can understand how dynamic ocean conditions affect calcifying organisms today and predict possible changes in the future. We established a calcification monitoring network in the Florida Keys and have been measuring calcification...
By
St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center
Measuring Coral Growth to Help Restore Reefs

Measuring Coral Growth to Help Restore Reefs

It is critical to start measuring calcification rates in a systematic way now, particularly at subtropical latitudes where conditions fluctuate seasonally, so that we can understand how dynamic ocean conditions affect calcifying organisms today and predict possible changes in the future. We established a calcification monitoring network in the Florida Keys and have been measuring calcification...
Learn More
Filter Total Items: 14

Carbonate Budgets, Structure-from-Motion Products, and Topographic Complexity Measurements From Restored and Non-restored Areas of Coral Reefs in the Lower Florida Keys Carbonate Budgets, Structure-from-Motion Products, and Topographic Complexity Measurements From Restored and Non-restored Areas of Coral Reefs in the Lower Florida Keys

During the summers of 2022 and 2023, U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) researchers conducted underwater surveys aimed at quantifying the impact that past coral restoration by Mote Marine Laboratory had on the reef-accretion process. The surveys were conducted along paired transects representing restored and non-restored areas of eight offshore reefs and three patch-reef sites in the Lower...
By
St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center

The Relative Composition of Late Pleistocene Coral Reefs in the Florida Keys The Relative Composition of Late Pleistocene Coral Reefs in the Florida Keys

The U.S. Geological Survey St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center’s (USGS SPCMSC) Core Archive in St. Petersburg, FL contains a collection of coral-reef cores collected from throughout the Florida Keys reef tract (FKRT; Fig. 1). In a previous study (Toth and Stathakopoulos, 2019), USGS researchers analyzed the upper, Holocene (~11,700 years ago to present) sections of those...
By
Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center

Radiometric Ages and Descriptive Data for Late Holocene Acropora spp. Corals From Dry Tortugas National Park Radiometric Ages and Descriptive Data for Late Holocene Acropora spp. Corals From Dry Tortugas National Park

This data release compiles radiometric data, photographs, and descriptive collection information (location, elevation, etc.) for late Holocene sub-fossil Acropora palmata and A. cervicornis coral samples collected from the coral reefs of Dry Tortugas National Park, Florida (DRTO) from 2015 to 2023. The samples were collected under scientific research permits from the U.S. National Park...
By
Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center

U-series Ages and Elevation Data of Late Pleistocene Corals From the Florida Keys U-series Ages and Elevation Data of Late Pleistocene Corals From the Florida Keys

This data release compiles Uranium-series (U-series) data and descriptive collection information (such as sample/core identifier, location, elevation, etc.) for late Pleistocene coral subsamples from coral-reef cores previously collected throughout the Florida Keys by U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) researchers. The samples were collected under scientific research permits from the Florida...
By
Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center

Experimental Coral-Physiology Data for Acropora palmata in Florida, USA Experimental Coral-Physiology Data for Acropora palmata in Florida, USA

The USGS Coral Reef Ecosystems Studies (CREST) project provides science that helps Department of Interior and other resource managers tasked with the stewardship of coral reef resources. This data release contains data on coral physiology of the elkhorn coral, Acropora palmata, grown at five sites along the Florida outer reef tract including in Biscayne National Park, the Florida Keys...
By
Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center

Experimental Coral-Growth Data and Time-Series Imagery for Acropora palmata and Pseudodiploria strigosa in St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands Experimental Coral-Growth Data and Time-Series Imagery for Acropora palmata and Pseudodiploria strigosa in St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands

The U.S. Geological Survey Coral Reef Ecosystems Studies project (CREST) provides science that helps Department of Interior and other resource managers tasked with the stewardship of coral reef resources. This data release contains data on coral-growth rates and time-series photographs taken of colonies of the elkhorn coral, Acropora palmata, and the symmetrical brain coral...
By
Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center

Experimental Coral-growth and Physiological Data and Time-series Imagery for Porites astreoides in the Florida Keys, U.S.A. Experimental Coral-growth and Physiological Data and Time-series Imagery for Porites astreoides in the Florida Keys, U.S.A.

The USGS Coral Reef Ecosystems Studies project provides science that helps resource managers tasked with the stewardship of coral reef resources. This data release contains data on coral-growth rates and time-series photographs taken of colonies of the mustard hill coral, Porites astreoides, grown at four sites on the Florida Keys reef tract from spring 2015 to spring 2017. The data will...
By
Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center

Radiometric Ages and Descriptive Data for Holocene Corals From Southeast Florida Radiometric Ages and Descriptive Data for Holocene Corals From Southeast Florida

This data release compiles descriptive information (location, water depth, etc.) and radiometric ages from corals collected through the Southeast Florida Continental Reef Tract (SFCRT; fig. 1). The database includes data from studies published between 1977 and 2015 as well as previously unpublished data. The samples were originally collected using coral-reef coring or other geologic...
By
Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center

Experimental coral-growth data and time-series imagery for Acropora palmata in the Florida Keys, U.S.A. Experimental coral-growth data and time-series imagery for Acropora palmata in the Florida Keys, U.S.A.

The USGS Coral Reef Ecosystems Studies project (https://coastal.er.usgs.gov/crest/) provides science that helps resource managers tasked with the stewardship of coral reef resources. This data release contains data on coral-growth rates and time-series photographs taken of colonies of the elkhorn coral, Acropora palmata, grown at five sites on the Florida Keys reef tract from spring 2018...
By
Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center

South Florida Holocene Coral Sea-level Database South Florida Holocene Coral Sea-level Database

Holocene-aged coral samples from the south Florida region were extensively characterized to create a new database of verified sea-level data (Stathakopoulos and others, in review). The samples were originally collected using coral-reef coring or other geologic sampling methods and were obtained by several different researchers from studies spanning the interval of 1977 to 2017. Many of...
By
Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center

The Absolute and Relative Composition of Holocene Reef Cores From the Florida Keys Reef Tract The Absolute and Relative Composition of Holocene Reef Cores From the Florida Keys Reef Tract

This data release provides a summary of the absolute percent composition of all recovered material and relative percent composition of coral taxa in the Holocene-aged intervals of 61 coral-reef cores collected throughout the Florida Keys reef tract (FKRT) housed in the USGS Core Archive in St. Petersburg, FL. Estimated ages for distinct depths within each core are also provided; those...
By
Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center

Experimental Data on Construction and Erosion of Orbicella Coral Reefs in the Florida Keys, U.S.A. Experimental Data on Construction and Erosion of Orbicella Coral Reefs in the Florida Keys, U.S.A.

The USGS Coral Reef Ecosystems Studies project provides science that helps resource managers tasked with the stewardship of coral reef resources. This data release contains data on coral-growth rates for Orbicella sp. coral colonies grown at five sites on the Florida Keys reef tract from 2013 to 2015, survey data for census-based carbonate budgeting at Hen and Chickens Reef (Islamorada...
By
Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center
Two divers use a tripod and drill to take a coral core
USGS scientists drill a coral-reef core in the Florida Keys
USGS scientists drill a coral-reef core in the Florida Keys
Two divers use a tripod and drill to take a coral core

USGS scientists drill a coral-reef core in the Florida Keys

USGS scientists drill a coral-reef core in the Florida Keys

Research Oceanographer Lauren Toth and student volunteer Liz Whitcher drill a coral-reef core from a reef off Key West, Florida, in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. Photo taken under research permit FKNMS-2015-058. Credit: Anastasios Stathakopoulos, USGS.

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Water Resources Mission Area, Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center, Communications and Publishing
Two divers use a tripod and drill to take a coral core

USGS scientists drill a coral-reef core in the Florida Keys

USGS scientists drill a coral-reef core in the Florida Keys

Research Oceanographer Lauren Toth and student volunteer Liz Whitcher drill a coral-reef core from a reef off Key West, Florida, in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. Photo taken under research permit FKNMS-2015-058. Credit: Anastasios Stathakopoulos, USGS.

By
Water Resources Mission Area, Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center, Communications and Publishing
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Coral restoration can drive rapid increases in reef accretion potential Coral restoration can drive rapid increases in reef accretion potential

Coral-reef degradation is disrupting the balance between reef accretion and erosion and threatening the persistence of essential coral-reef habitats. In south Florida, most reefs are already net eroding, and without intervention, valuable ecosystem services may be lost. Coral restoration holds the potential to reverse those trends; however, typical restoration monitoring does not...
Authors
Lauren Toth, Selena Johnson, Erin Lyons, Jason Spadaro, Anastasios Stathakopoulos, Sierra Kathleen Bloomer, Jennifer Mallon, Connor Monroe Jenkins, Sara D. Williams, Ian Combs, Zachary Craig, Erinn Muller
By
St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center

Shifting baselines of coral-reef species composition from the Late Pleistocene to the present in the Florida Keys Shifting baselines of coral-reef species composition from the Late Pleistocene to the present in the Florida Keys

The ongoing global-scale reassembly of modern coral reefs is unprecedented compared with the observed stability of most late Quaternary reef assemblages. One notable exception is the marine isotope stage (MIS) 5e (ca 130–116 thousand years ago [ka]) reefs in the Florida Keys, where the ubiquitous shallow-water coral, Acropora palmata, was near absent. Little is known, however, about...
Authors
Lauren Toth, Anastasios Stathakopoulos, Scarlette Shan-Hwei Hsia, David Weinstein
By
St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center, Florence Bascom Geoscience Center

Discovery of late Holocene-aged Acropora palmata reefs in Dry Tortugas National Park, Florida, USA: The past as a key to the future? Discovery of late Holocene-aged Acropora palmata reefs in Dry Tortugas National Park, Florida, USA: The past as a key to the future?

Emblematic of global coral-reef ecosystem decline, the coral ecosystem-engineer Acropora palmata is now rare throughout much of the western Atlantic. Understanding when and where this foundation species occurred during the past can provide information about the environmental limits defining its distribution through space and time. In this paper, the present, historical and newly dated...
Authors
Anastasios Stathakopoulos, Lauren Toth, Peter Modys, Selena Johnson, Ilsa Kuffner
By
St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center

Acute heat stress and the extirpation of a threatened coral species from a remote, subtropical reef system Acute heat stress and the extirpation of a threatened coral species from a remote, subtropical reef system

The ecological significance of the reef-building elkhorn coral, Acropora palmata, is threatened by heat-stress-induced mortality. The intensity and duration of the ocean heatwave affecting Dry Tortugas National Park in the summer of 2023 was historically unprecedented in its early timing and maximum temperatures reached and resulted in 100% A. palmata mortality. To understand the...
Authors
Ava Madeline Thompson, Anastasios Stathakopoulos, Karli J. Hollister, Amelia M. Lynch, Jordan C. Holder, Ilsa Kuffner
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St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center

Heterotrophy, microbiome, and location effects on restoration efficacy of the threatened coral Acropora palmata Heterotrophy, microbiome, and location effects on restoration efficacy of the threatened coral Acropora palmata

The iconic and threatened Caribbean coral, Acropora palmata, is an essential reef-ecosystem engineer. Understanding the processes underpinning this coral’s survival and growth is essential to restoring this foundational species. Here, we compared replicate A. palmata colonies transplanted along 350 km of Florida’s offshore coral reef to determine holobiont and/or environmental variables...
Authors
Leila Chapron, Ilsa Kuffner, Dustin Kemp, Ann Hulver, Elise Keister, Anastasios Stathakopoulos, Lucy Bartlett, Erin Lyons, Andrea G. Grottoli
By
Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center

The potential for coral reef restoration to mitigate coastal flooding as sea levels rise The potential for coral reef restoration to mitigate coastal flooding as sea levels rise

The ability of reefs to protect coastlines from storm-driven flooding hinges on their capacity to keep pace with sea-level rise. Here, we show how and whether coral restoration could achieve the often-cited goal of reversing the impacts of coral-reef degradation to preserve this essential function. We combined coral-growth measurements and carbonate-budget assessments of reef-accretion...
Authors
Lauren Toth, Curt Storlazzi, Elizabeth Whitcher, Ilsa Kuffner, Ellen Quataert, Johan Reyns, Robert McCall, Anastasios Stathakopoulos, Zandy Hillis-Starr, Nathaniel Holloway, Kristin Ewen, Clayton Pollock, Tess Code, Richard Aronson
By
Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center, St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center

Climate and the latitudinal limits of subtropical reef development Climate and the latitudinal limits of subtropical reef development

Climate plays a central role in coral-reef development, especially in marginal environments. The high-latitude reefs of southeast Florida are currently non-accreting, relict systems with low coral cover. This region also did not support the extensive Late Pleistocene reef development observed in many other locations around the world; however, there is evidence of significant reef...
Authors
Lauren Toth, William Precht, Alexander Modys, Anastasios Stathakopoulos, Martha Robbart, J. Hudson, Anton Olenik, Bernhard Riegl, Eugene Shinn, Richard Aronson
By
Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center

Physiological differences in bleaching response of the coral Porites astreoides along the Florida Keys reef tract during high-temperature stress Physiological differences in bleaching response of the coral Porites astreoides along the Florida Keys reef tract during high-temperature stress

The Florida Keys reef tract (FKRT) has a unique geological history wherein Holocene sea-level rise and bathymetry interacted, resulting in a reef-building system with notable spatial differences in reef development. Overprinted on this geologic history, recent global and local stressors have led to degraded reefs dominated by fleshy algae, soft corals, and sponges. Here, we assessed how...
Authors
Elizabeth Lenz, Lucy Bartlett, Anastasios Stathakopoulos, Ilsa Kuffner
By
Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center

Reestablishing a stepping-stone population of the threatened elkhorn coral Acropora palmata to aid regional recovery Reestablishing a stepping-stone population of the threatened elkhorn coral Acropora palmata to aid regional recovery

Recovery of the elkhorn coral Acropora palmata is critical to reversing coral reef ecosystem collapse in the western Atlantic, but the species is severely threatened. To gauge potential for the species’ restoration in Florida, USA, we conducted an assisted migration experiment where 50 coral fragments of 5 nursery-raised genetic strains (genets) from the upper Florida Keys were moved to...
Authors
Ilsa Kuffner, Anastasios Stathakopoulos, Lauren Toth, Lucy Bartlett
By
Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center

A revised Holocene coral sea-level database from the Florida reef tract, USA A revised Holocene coral sea-level database from the Florida reef tract, USA

The coral reefs and mangrove habitats of the south Florida region have long been used in sea-level studies for the western Atlantic because of their broad geographic extent and composition of sea-level tracking biota. The data from this region have been used to support several very different Holocene sea-level reconstructions (SLRs) over the years. However, many of these SLRs did not...
Authors
Anastasios Stathakopoulos, Bernhard Riegl, Lauren Toth
By
Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center

The unprecedented loss of Florida's reef-building corals and the emergence of a novel coral-reef assemblage The unprecedented loss of Florida's reef-building corals and the emergence of a novel coral-reef assemblage

Over the last half century, climate change, coral disease, and other anthropogenic disturbances have restructured coral-reef ecosystems on a global scale. The disproportionate loss of once-dominant, reef-building taxa has facilitated relative increases in the abundance of “weedy” or stress-tolerant coral species. Although the recent transformation of coral-reef assemblages is...
Authors
Lauren Toth, Anastasios Stathakopoulos, Ilsa Kuffner, Robert Ruzicka, Michael Colella, Eugene Shinn
By
Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center

Improving estimates of coral reef construction and erosion with in-situ measurements Improving estimates of coral reef construction and erosion with in-situ measurements

The decline in living coral since the 1970s has conspicuously slowed reef construction on a global scale, but the related process of reef erosion is less visible and not often quantified. Here we present new data on the constructional and deconstructional side of the carbonate-budget equation in the Florida Keys, U.S.A. We documented Orbicella spp. calcification rates at four offshore...
Authors
Ilsa Kuffner, Lauren Toth, J. Hudson, William Goodwin, Anastasios Stathakopoulos, Lucy Bartlett, Elizabeth Whitcher
By
Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center
Protocols for improving sea-level reconstructions in the western Atlantic

Protocols for improving sea-level reconstructions in the western Atlantic

Anastasios Stathakopoulos (Oceanographer) and Lauren Toth (Research Oceanographer) published a new article titled “A revised Holocene coral sea-level...

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New USGS manuscript documents unprecedented shift in coral species composition of Florida’s reefs

New USGS manuscript documents unprecedented shift in coral species composition of Florida’s reefs

Lauren Toth (Research Oceanographer, SPCMSC), Ilsa Kuffner (Research Marine Biologist, SPCMSC), and Anastasios Stathakopoulos (Oceanographer) led a...

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Coral-reef research featured in Science Magazine news article

Coral-reef research featured in Science Magazine news article

A news feature published last week in Science Magazine highlights research by SPCMSC scientists into the problem of reef erosion in the Florida Keys.

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New paper published on Florida Keys coral reef construction and erosion

New paper published on Florida Keys coral reef construction and erosion

A team of four scientists from St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center and collaborators from NOAA and Florida Institute of Technology...

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Scientists to Attend "Reef Futures 2018" Symposium on Reef Restoration

Scientists to Attend "Reef Futures 2018" Symposium on Reef Restoration

Research Marine Biologist Ilsa Kuffner, Research Oceanographer Lauren Toth, and Oceanographer Anastasios Stathakopoulos will travel to Key Largo, FL...

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New coral reef study to begin at Buck Island National Park Service unit on St. Croix

New coral reef study to begin at Buck Island National Park Service unit on St. Croix

Scientists travel to Buck Island Reef National Monument to plan a new study and to assess hurricane impacts to the coral reefs surrounding Buck Island...

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USGS scientists investigate the millennial-scale history of the "Threatened" elkhorn coral in Dry Tortugas National Park

USGS scientists investigate the millennial-scale history of the "Threatened" elkhorn coral in Dry Tortugas National Park

Dr. Lauren Toth (Research Oceanographer, SPCMSC) and Anastasios Stathakopoulos (Oceanographer, SPCMSC) will collaborate with the National Park Service...

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New Coral Reef Study to Begin at Buck Island National Monument

New Coral Reef Study to Begin at Buck Island National Monument

Research Marine Biologist Ilsa Kuffner, Research Oceanographer Lauren Toth, and Oceanographer Anastasios Stathakopoulos, will travel to Buck Island...

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