This group presentation will review progress made to date on examining a 30-meter-deep core through a Pleistocene coral reef from San Salvador Island in the Bahamas. This coral reef existed about 125 thousand years ago, during the last interglacial time period when climate was warmer and sea-levels were up to 6 m higher than today. Understanding the history of this fossil reef can offer insights into the impact of global warming and sea-level rise on modern coral reefs. The research involves analysis of high-resolution scans of reefal rocks taken under a microscope to document any evidence of stress on Pleistocene corals, including their encrustation with algae, microbes, foraminifera and worms as well as bioerosion by organisms that bite or bore into coral surfaces.
Presentation deriving from a special studies with with Bosiljka Glumac, professor of geosciences.