Una mirada historica a los arrecifes coralinos de la reserva Seaflower – Fase II.

Coral reefs are at peril all over the world. The causes of their deterioration operate at different scales, and affect reefs differently. Most studies focus on causes of degradation that operate on local spatial scales and/or on short time scales. Sclerochronology techniques give an insight into historical changes of the growth patterns of hard corals, the main builders of the coral reef. The study of cores of exoskeletons allows to look at the changes in the time in rates of growth, rates of calcification and skeletal density, among other structural aspects of corals. It also allows to look at changes in the concentration of pollutants. all these parameters help to understand the causes of coral reef deterioration over time. This proposal intends to analyze the changes in the main characteristics of exoskeletons of corals during the last 80 to 100 years in the shallow coral reefs from the Seaflower Reserve. In this phase of the project, we intend to participate in the Scientific Expedition to Quitasueño, to extract and analyze 10 cores of exoskeletons of the coral Orbicella faveolata. Each core will be extracted using pneumatic drilling equipment, will be scanned in a CT-Scan, and will be analyzed in terms of growth rates and skeletal density. The results will be compared to previous and future results obtained from cores that have already been extracted (or will be extracted in the future) at other coralline complexes from the Reserve, to reconstruct an overarching story of changes in the corals and coral reefs from the region. Comparisons will encompass major historical changes in water quality and water conditions in the Caribbean.