S3 E4: Reef Time Capsules: What Coral Cores Reveal About the Reef’s Past

Did you know coral skeletons contain a record of every flood event in Queensland since 1648?We often hear that climate and water pollution conditions on the Great Barrier Reef have changed dramatically since pre-industrial times. But how do we actually know that? After all, weather records only stretch back just over a century, and systematic water quality monitoring only began in the 1980s.The answer is written in the corals themselves. By extracting a core sample — much like studying tree rings — scientists can read the chemical signatures locked inside the growth layers of coral skeletons, revealing what ocean conditions were like hundreds of years ago.So what stories are those coral cores telling us? To find out, we’re joined today by Dr Stephen Lewis, Senior Principal Research Officer specialising in water quality at James Cook University in Townsville.Support the showHelp Keep Word on the Reef Afloat!Please take 2 minutes to fill out our Word on the Reef Listener Survey to help us apply for funding for the show!PROTECT THE REEF - Sign these Petitions Now!Australian Marine Conservation Society: Australia, it's time to lead on Climate Action!Divers for Climate: Sign the 'I'm a Diver for Climate' National StatementAustralian Conservation Foundation: No New Coal and Gas!Queensland Conservation Council: Take Strong Climate Action and Build a Positive Renewable Future!Our Islands Our Home: Protect the Torres Strait Islands from Climate ChangeGreenpeace: Save the Great Barrier Reef!WWF Australia: Protect NatureRising Tide: ...