Sclerochronological characteristics of Orbicella faveolata in Cayo Arenas, a remote coral reef from the Gulf of Mexico.

ABSTRACT: During coral calcification in massive scleractinian corals, a double annual banding of different densities (high- and low-density) is formed in their skeletons, which can provide a retrospective record of growth and the influence of environmental conditions on the coral's lifespan. Evidence indicates that during the last decades, the reduction in coral calcification rate is attributed to the combination of global stress factors such as Sea Surface Temperature (SST) and local anthropic stressors. Yet, coral growth trajectories can vary between regions and coral species, where remote locations of coral reefs can act as natural laboratories, as they are far from the harmful effects of direct anthropogenic stressors. The present study reports historical chronology over a 24-year period (1992-2

SUBMITTER: Sanchez-Pelcastre DW 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10645327 | biostudies-literature | 2023

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature