Coral-reef core from the USGS core archive

This core sample was taken from an elkhorn coral reef offshore of the Fort Lauderdale region of Florida. Samples from coral skeletons are taken from numerous locations in the core for radiocarbon dating, which tells scientists the age of each coral and of sections within the reef. The corals in this core lived from 7,100 to 6,200 years ago. Coral type, orientation of corallites, and evidence of other fauna and characteristics within the core are used to determine how reliable the coral samples are to use for past sea-level reconstruction. This core is stored in the USGS core archive in St. Petersburg, Florida.