Life Sciences Commons^™

Skeletal Architecture And Density Banding Analysis Technique For Diploria Strigosa By X-Ray Computed Tomography, Kevin P. Helmle, Richard E. Dodge (Editor)

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Proceedings, Presentations, Speeches, Lectures

Coral skeletal density information is a useful growth parameter and may be coupled with extension rates to determine calcification rates. The conventional process for density determination is often cumbersome and requires some parameters which are difficult to precisely specify (e.g., Mass absorption coefficients). We have developed a technique and windows based computer program which enables the rapid collection of coral density data. The coral skeleton slab is xradiographed with an aluminum wedge. Thickness and density of the aluminum wedge, thickness of the coral slab, density of pure coral aragonite, and digitized images of the coral and wedge x-radiographs provide necessary …