Map of coral core sites

The newly developed USGS Coral Core Archive, housed at the Santa Cruz and St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Centers, contains approximately 500 coral reef cores from U.S. jurisdictions worldwide. This archive, is one of the largest coral archives in the world and provides historical context for coral-reef science studies, including crucial data for modern coral calcification rates, reef erosion, and impacts on reef-lined coasts. The archive also offers unique opportunities to test hypotheses about environmental controls on coral growth and erosion.