Chronology of Lead Pollution Contained in Banded Coral Skeletons

Authors

Richard E. Dodge, Nova Southeastern UniversityFollow
T. R. Gilbert, Northeastern University

Document Type

Article

Publication Title

Marine Biology

ISSN

0025-3162

Publication Date

8-1-1984

Keywords

Coral reefs, US Virgin Islands

Abstract

Lead concentrations relative to calcium within dated subsamples of hermatypic (reef-building) coral skeletons from St. Croix, US Virgin Islands, record ambient pollution levels. Concentrations within a coral from a polluted reef (395 ng g^-1) average five-fold higher than within a coral from a pristine site (87 ng g^-1). The lead chronologies of both corals show a significant increase in concentration towards the present during the past 26 yr (1954–1980). The increase in lead concentration in the coral from the pristine site is suggested to represent the increase in lead availability from global pollution. Coral skeletons offer the probability of development into tools for longterm chemical recorders of levels of lead and possibly other metals or compounds in seawater.

DOI

10.1007/BF00392758

Volume

82

Issue

1

First Page

9

Last Page

13

Comments

©Springer-Verlag 1984

Additional Comments

NOAA grant #: NA80 RAD 00045

NSUWorks Citation

Dodge, R. E., and T. R. Gilbert. 1984. "Chronology of lead pollution contained in banded coral skeletons." Marine Biology no. 82 (1):9-13. doi: 10.1007/BF00392758.