NERP TE Project 1.3: Historical Coral Reef Stressor Impacts on the Great Barrier Reef

2011-2014 project data investigating historical coral community responses to disturbances over the past 1-2 millennia. The project, associated with the Australian Ocean Data Network, used geological dating and geochemical analysis of coral cores. It aimed to create high-resolution records of sea-level, salinity, pH, cyclone frequency, sea-surface temperature, and coral community structure.

Use Cases

• Modeling historical sea-level changes based on dated microatoll elevation surveys.
• Reconstructing past salinity and pH variability based on boron isotope analyses from coral and sediment cores.
• Analyzing long-term cyclone frequency patterns based on dating of transported reef blocks and sediment cores.
• Estimating historical sea-surface temperatures based on geochemical proxy analyses (Sr/Ca, Mg/Ca, 18O/16O) of coral cores.
• Studying shifts in coral reef community structure and calcification rates in response to chronic and acute stressors.

Strengths

• Project focuses on a high-resolution chronological scale over the past 1-2 millennia.
• Employs multiple pioneering techniques including high-precision geological dating and geochemical proxy analysis.
• Investigates a comprehensive set of environmental parameters including sea-level, salinity, pH, cyclone frequency, and sea-surface temperature.

Limitations

• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Data may reflect geographic bias inherent to the Great Barrier Reef study area.

Provenance

Source

Australian Ocean Data Network

Collection Method

High-precision geological dating, palaeoecological techniques, and geochemical analysis of coral and sediment cores.

Time Range

Project conducted 2011-2014, analyzing records from the past 1-2 millennia.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-07-10 15:49:14.761887; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Great Barrier Reef