Long-Term Growth Records of Four Massive Coral Colonies from Haitian Reefs: Colony-Specific Variability and Associations with SST and ENSO
Abstract
Coral reefs throughout the Caribbean are increasingly exposed to climate-driven thermal variability, yet long-term coral growth records remain scarce for Haiti. This study examined long-term growth variability in four massive coral colonies (Siderastrea siderea and Diploria labyrinthiformis) collected from three Haitian reef systems: Léogâne, Caracol, and Belle-Anse. Annual growth bands were identified from X-radiographs, and linear extension and skeletal density were quantified using sclerochronological and densitometric analyses, while calcification was derived from their product. Relationships between annual growth parameters and site-specific sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies were assessed using Pearson correlations, while annual mean Niño 3.4 anomalies were used to characterize El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) variability. Composite analyses were also used descriptively to examine growth responses during selected El Niño and La Niña conditions. The four colonies exhibited substantial interannual variability in skeletal growth. Mean linear extension ranged from 0.47 ± 0.16 to 0.64 ± 0.14 cm yr−1, skeletal density from 0.82 ± 0.11 to 1.47 ± 0.24 g cm−3, and calcification from 0.53 ± 0.21 to 0.81 g cm−2 yr−1. Pearson correlations revealed colony-specific SST–growth relationships, with the strongest positive associations observed for skeletal density in B82 (r = 0.318) and calcification in Diploria labyrinthiformis SE1 (r = 0.302), whereas other relationships were weaker or differed in direction. ENSO composites likewise showed heterogeneous responses among colonies and climatic phases. Overall, these results highlight pronounced colony-specific growth variability and heterogeneous associations with SST and ENSO, providing an important long-term sclerochronological baseline for Haitian reefs.
Related
- A global synthesis of ecosystem services records and their associations with marine and coastal habitats
- Station-specific variability and short-term forecasting of a particulate air-quality index using machine learning in Charleroi, Belgium
- Intra- and inter-specific variability in benthic foraminifera modulates surface sediment reworking
- The Effects of Intra‐Day Temperature Variability on Cause‐Specific Mortality: A Time‐Stratified Case‐Crossover Study in Chongqing, China
- Historical distribution of managed honeybee colonies (Apis mellifera) in 18th-century Spain: A standardized dataset (v1: Cáceres)
BibTeX
@article{blanc2026longterm,
title = {{Long-Term Growth Records of Four Massive Coral Colonies from Haitian Reefs: Colony-Specific Variability and Associations with SST and ENSO}},
author = {Moramade Blanc and Franck Lartaud and David Noncent and Jennifer Weil-Accardo and Evens Emmanuel},
journal = {Environments},
year = {2026},
month = sep,
doi = {10.3390/environments13100549},
url = {https://hal.science/hal-05775929v1},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Long-Term Growth Records of Four Massive Coral Colonies from Haitian Reefs: Colony-Specific Variability and Associations with SST and ENSO
AU - Moramade Blanc
AU - Franck Lartaud
AU - David Noncent
AU - Jennifer Weil-Accardo
AU - Evens Emmanuel
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/09/30
JO - Environments
DO - 10.3390/environments13100549
UR - https://hal.science/hal-05775929v1
AB - Coral reefs throughout the Caribbean are increasingly exposed to climate-driven thermal variability, yet long-term coral growth records remain scarce for Haiti. This study examined long-term growth variability in four massive coral colonies (Siderastrea siderea and Diploria labyrinthiformis) collected from three Haitian reef systems: Léogâne, Caracol, and Belle-Anse. Annual growth bands were identified from X-radiographs, and linear extension and skeletal density were quantified using sclerochronological and densitometric analyses, while calcification was derived from their product. Relationships between annual growth parameters and site-specific sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies were assessed using Pearson correlations, while annual mean Niño 3.4 anomalies were used to characterize El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) variability. Composite analyses were also used descriptively to examine growth responses during selected El Niño and La Niña conditions. The four colonies exhibited substantial interannual variability in skeletal growth. Mean linear extension ranged from 0.47 ± 0.16 to 0.64 ± 0.14 cm yr−1, skeletal density from 0.82 ± 0.11 to 1.47 ± 0.24 g cm−3, and calcification from 0.53 ± 0.21 to 0.81 g cm−2 yr−1. Pearson correlations revealed colony-specific SST–growth relationships, with the strongest positive associations observed for skeletal density in B82 (r = 0.318) and calcification in Diploria labyrinthiformis SE1 (r = 0.302), whereas other relationships were weaker or differed in direction. ENSO composites likewise showed heterogeneous responses among colonies and climatic phases. Overall, these results highlight pronounced colony-specific growth variability and heterogeneous associations with SST and ENSO, providing an important long-term sclerochronological baseline for Haitian reefs.
SN - 2076-3298
ER -