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- ICRS7,
- Sclerochronology,
- Skeleton,
- Density bands,
- Growth
Density banding in coral skeletons can provide for reconstruction of the coral's growth en- vironment over long periods. The physical differ- ences between low and high density portions of a skeletal band are not well understood. The skeletal architecture of M. annularis from Southeast Flor- ida, the Florida Keys, St. Croix, the Bahamas, and Mexico was compared in X-ray revealed high den- sity (HD), low density (LD), and stress HD bands. Density changes arose from differences in the size, but not spacing, of exothecal structural elements (horizontal dissepiments and vertical costae). En- dothecal architecture size (e.g., columella, dissepi- ments, septa) was relatively constant between den- sity band types. Results have implications for studies of coral growth, sclerochronology, and iso- topic/trace element composition.
ISSN: 0272-2615
Volume 1, pg. 186-195
Available at: http://works.bepress.com/richard-dodge/128/
all conference proceedings can be found at http://www.reefbase.org