Kilbourne 2007, 2008, and 2010 are all the same coral with radiocarbon 2007 and new coral in 2010 extending record to 1479.

The regression equations presented here are not meant as a quantitative calibration of the Monastraea faveolata paleothermometer, because we do not have monthly seawater d18O during 1993a€“ 2004, but is instead intended to demonstrate the high correlation of d18O to temperature at this site, and that it is reasonable to apply the Leder et al. [1996] calibration slope to these data. Weber and Woodhead [1972] proposed that each coral species has its own carbonate d18Oa€temperature relationship because of the influence of metabolic effects on the d18Oa€temperature relationship. Leder et al. [1996] conducted a thorough calibration study for Montastraea faveolata, utilizing thermister data from next to the coral, regular seawater d18O measurements, and skeletal staining to provide independent time control. Their equation is SST (AºC) = 5.33 a€“ 4.519 (A±0.19) (delta c - delta w)

They use calibration from other studies with this coral species, Montastraea faveolata or annularis (the same coral), 0.22 per mil per degree C [Leder et al., 1996]. In Kilbourne 2010, "centenniala€scale variability appears to be driven by temperature".

Counting annual density bands provided an age model for these samples. The exact position of the annual banding over core breaks was reconstructed by stacking the coral slabs together into round core sections with spacers representing the material lost in cutting the cores and with a life-size copy of the X-radiograph taped to the microdrilled slab. The two pieces of core were joined by aligning the corallites of each section, and the X-radiographs on both sides of the core break were marked exactly where they met. Once the breaks were aligned, we used the X-radiographs to count density bands multiple times. We estimate an error of �1 year at the bottom of the core.

Error estimates indicate an average data set error of ?0.7�C for the early time period (1902?1912) and 0.2�C