 The key results: higher saturation state during and after bleaching, relative to before. The first publication of work conducted entirely in the Sclero Lab is out today in L&O Letters. Sclero-lab alumnus Hanna Mantanona used Raman spectrometry to analyze coral skeletal cores with prominent bleaching-induced stress bands. Using the Raman data, Hanna calculated calcifying fluid saturation states before, during, and after the bleaching events. And the results were, well, surprising! Saturation state increased during the bleaching, and remained elevated afterwards. This paper will be a key contribution to the literature not because it provides all the answers (we don't fully know the mechanism behind this observation), but because it refutes existing notions in the literature and raises new questions. Way to go, Hanna!  Some of the stress bands that we analyzed. These are CT scans of coral skeletal cores, and the bright white bands indicate unusually high density, which occurs during coral bleaching.
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With funding from NSF, we will be working on a 5-year project focused on advancing analysis of coral skeletal cores. This will include the creation of a virtual core repository, developing new tools for analyzing CT scans, and engaging the public in the analyses. Read more about the project here.
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