Great Barrier Reef Coral Database (GBRCD)

By Arzey et al. | October 29, 2024

Introduction

The Great Barrier Reef Coral Skeletal Records Database (GBRCD) compiles 208 records from coral skeletal research conducted since the early 1990s. The database includes records from the Holocene to the present day. Records are from the northern, central, and southern GBR from inshore and offshore locations. This is a dynamic compilation, meaning that new datasets that meet the criteria for inclusion can be added and included in subsequent versions. See the criteria and data submission sections below for details.

Data Coverage Map
Data Coverage Map

Data

Data access and LiPDverse visualizations are available here.

Publication

A data descriptor for the compilation was published in Earth System Science Data and is available here.

How to cite this compilation

Arzey, A. K., McGregor, H. V., Clark, T. R., Webster, J. M., Lewis, S. E., Mallela, J., McKay, N. P., Fahey, H. W., Chakraborty, S., Razak, T. B., and Fischer, M. J.: Coral skeletal proxy records database for the Great Barrier Reef, Australia, Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 16, 4869–4930, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-16-4869-2024, 2024.

Criteria for inclusion

The complete criteria for inclusion are described in the publication, but in short: To be included in this compilation, a dataset must meet several criteria:

  1. Archive Type: Datasets must be from a single coral from the Great Barrier Reef.
  2. Measured Variables: Records must include one or more measured variables (e.g., Sr/Ca, U/Ca, Ba/Ca).
  3. Chronological Control: All variables must be unified with a single age model.
  4. Peer-review: Records must be published in a peer-reviewed journal.

Adding data to this compilation

If you’re interested in adding a dataset to this compilation, whether it’s a new study you’re involved with, or an older record that was previously overlooked or unavailable, follow these steps:

  1. Check that the data meet the criteria for inclusion in the study.
  2. If the dataset is not already formatted as a LiPD file, please do so using the interactive web tool at LiPD.net, and download the resulting file.
  3. We are working on formalizing this process, but for now, please email GBRCD Leadership and/or Nick McKay, attach the dataset(s), and explain why the record should be added.

For more information, take a look at the frequently asked questions.

Long-term archival

The GBRCD data are archived at the NOAA National Center for Environmental Information World Data Service for Paleoclimatology, and are available here.