Heron Reef Acropora inter-branch skeleton Sr/Ca Data from 2009-2014 Sadler, J.; Webb, G.E.; Nothdurft, L.D. Sadler, J. Webb, G.E. Nothdurft, L.D. earth science/paleoclimate/climate reconstructions|corals and sclerosponges (sea surface temperature,strontium/calcium,null,degree Celsius,null,climate reconstructions|corals and sclerosponges,null,null,N,null) earth science/paleoclimate/corals and sclerosponges (sample identification,null,null,null,null,corals and sclerosponges,null,null,N,null) earth science/paleoclimate/corals and sclerosponges (strontium/calcium,Acropora humilis,null,millimole per mole,null,corals and sclerosponges,smoothed,inductively-coupled plasma mass spectrometry,N,smoothed by 4 point running mean) earth science/paleoclimate/climate reconstructions|corals and sclerosponges (age,null,null,year Common Era,null,climate reconstructions|corals and sclerosponges,null,null,N,null) earth science/paleoclimate/corals and sclerosponges (strontium/calcium,Acropora samoensis,null,millimole per mole,null,corals and sclerosponges,smoothed,inductively-coupled plasma mass spectrometry,N,smoothed by 4 point running mean) earth science/paleoclimate/corals and sclerosponges earth science/paleoclimate/corals and sclerosponges (Heron Island Reef>LATITUDE -23.45>LONGITUDE 151.92) The majority of coral geochemistry-based paleoclimate reconstructions in the Indo-Pacific are conducted on selectively cored colonies of massive Porites. This restriction to a single genus may make it difficult to amass the required paleoclimate data for studies that require deep reef coring techniques. Acropora, however, is a highly abundant coral genus in both modern and fossil reef systems and displays potential as a novel climate archive. Here we present a calibration study for Sr/Ca ratios recovered from interbranch skeleton in corymbose Acropora colonies from Heron Reef, southern Great Barrier Reef. Significant intercolony differences in absolute Sr/Ca ratios were normalized by producing anomaly plots of both coral geochemistry and instrumental water temperature records. Weighted linear regression of these anomalies from the lagoon and fore-reef slope provide a sensitivity of −0.05 mmol/mol °C−1, with a correlation coefficient (r2 = 0.65) comparable to those of genera currently used in paleoclimate reconstructions. Reconstructions of lagoon and reef slope mean seasonality in water temperature accurately identify the greater seasonal amplitude observed in the lagoon of Heron Reef. A longer calibration period is, however, required for reliable reconstructions of annual mean water temperatures. STUDY NOTES: Modern Sr/Ca data from the inter-branch skeleton of Acropora humilis group corals. Data are anchor points used in the generation of a transfer equation between coral Sr/Ca and water temperature. No interpolation has been applied to these values, only a four point running mean from the raw ICP-MS data. ICP-MS Sr/Ca precision: 0.4. Heron lagoon instrumental water temperature reported instrumental accuracy: 0.02 deg C. Heron slope instrumental water temperature reported instrumental accuracy: 0.005 deg C. Provided Keywords: Acropora, inter-branch skeleton, Sr/Ca NCDC-Paleoclimatology https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/data-access/paleoclimatology-data - Bauer Bruce Investigator : Sadler, J. Investigator : Webb, G.E. Investigator : Nothdurft, L.D. 2015-11-10 ONLINE Files online, ASCII https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/paleo/study/19440 https://www1.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/data/paleo/coral/west_pacific/sadler2015/sadler2015-heronreef.txt https://www1.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/data/paleo/coral/west_pacific/sadler2015/sadler2015-heronreef.txt English https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/paleo/study/19440 https://www1.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/data/paleo/coral/west_pacific/sadler2015/sadler2015-heronreef.txt Sadler, J., A.D. Nguyen, N. Leonard, G.E. Webb, and L. Nothdurft2016Acropora interbranch skeleton Sr/Ca ratios: Evaluation of a potential new high-resolution paleothermometerPaleoceanography314505-51710.1002/2015PA002898 START YEAR: 2009 AD * END YEAR: 2014 AD 151.92 -23.45 151.92 -23.45