Descriptive core logs, high-resolution images and derived data for Holocene reef cores collected from 1976 to 2017 along the Florida Keys reef tract

Frequently anticipated questions:

• What does this data set describe?
  1. How might this data set be cited?
  2. What geographic area does the data set cover?
  3. What does it look like?
  4. Does the data set describe conditions during a particular time period?
  5. What is the general form of this data set?
  6. How does the data set represent geographic features?
  7. How does the data set describe geographic features?
• Who produced the data set?
  1. Who are the originators of the data set?
  2. Who also contributed to the data set?
  3. To whom should users address questions about the data?
• Why was the data set created?
• How was the data set created?
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  2. How were the data generated, processed, and modified?
  3. What similar or related data should the user be aware of?
• How reliable are the data; what problems remain in the data set?
  1. How well have the observations been checked?
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• Who wrote the metadata?

What does this data set describe?

1. How might this data set be cited?
   Toth, Lauren T., Stathakopoulos, Anastasios, and Kuffner, Ilsa B., 20180426, Descriptive core logs, high-resolution images and derived data for Holocene reef cores collected from 1976 to 2017 along the Florida Keys reef tract: U.S. Geological Survey Data Release doi:10.5066/F7NV9HJX, U.S. Geological Survey, St. Petersburg, FL.

   Online Links:

   • https://doi.org/10.5066/F7NV9HJX

   This is part of the following larger work.
   Toth, Lauren T., Kuffner, Ilsa B., Stathakopoulos, Anastasios, and Shinn, Eugene A., 20180821, A 3000-year lag between the geological and ecological collapse of FloridaÕs coral reefs: Global Change Biology, Hoboken, New Jersey.

   Online Links:

   • https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.14389

2. What geographic area does the data set cover?

   West_Bounding_Coordinate: -83.04861
   East_Bounding_Coordinate: -80.0967
   North_Bounding_Coordinate: 25.5906
   South_Bounding_Coordinate: 24.4348
   

3. What does it look like?
4. Does the data set describe conditions during a particular time period?

   Beginning_Date: 1976

   Ending_Date: 2017

   Currentness_Reference:

   ground condition

5. What is the general form of this data set?

   Geospatial_Data_Presentation_Form: Tabular digital data
   

6. How does the data set represent geographic features?
   1. How are geographic features stored in the data set?
      
   2. What coordinate system is used to represent geographic features?
      Horizontal positions are specified in geographic coordinates, that is, latitude and longitude. Latitudes are given to the nearest 0.0198058979. Longitudes are given to the nearest 0.0217141803. Latitude and longitude values are specified in Decimal degrees. The horizontal datum used is North American Datum of 1983.
      The ellipsoid used is GRS 1980.
      The semi-major axis of the ellipsoid used is 6378137.0.
      The flattening of the ellipsoid used is 1/298.257222101.
      

      Vertical_Coordinate_System_Definition:

      Depth_System_Definition:

      Depth_Datum_Name: Mean sea level
      Depth_Resolution: 0.1
      Depth_Distance_Units: meters
      Depth_Encoding_Method: Attribute values
      

7. How does the data set describe geographic features?

   FKRT_Radiometric_Ages

   Radiometric (radiocarbon or U-series) ages of samples taken from Holocene reef cores collected between 1976 and 2017 along the Florida Keys Reef Tract. (Source: Lauren T. Toth (USGS-SPCMSC))

   Core ID

   Unique identifier for each core included in this study. (Source: USGS) Core IDs are generated using abbreviated information about the subregion, site, and core number and are formatted as: Subregion abbreviation-Site abbreviation-Core number.

   Sample ID

   Unique identifier for each coral sample dated in this study. (Source: USGS) Sample IDs are generated by abbreviating information about the subregion, site, core, and approximate depth from which each sample was collected in the core and are formatted as: Subregion abbreviation-Site abbreviation-Core number-Depth of coral in core.

   Secondary Sample ID(s)

   Sample IDs used in previous studies. Included so that researchers can cross-reference this database with previous publications and/or datasets. Left blank if the core was never referred to by a different name in any previous publications. (Source: USGS) A unique sample identifier conceived by the researcher(s) who collected the data. Generally, includes information related to the site/core name, depth of the sample, etc.

   Latitude

   The approximate latitude, in NAD83 coordinates, where the core was collected. (Source: USGS)

   Range of values
   Minimum:	24.4348
   Maximum:	25.5906
   Units:	Decimal degrees

   Longitude

   The approximate longitude, in NAD83 coordinates, where the core was collected. (Source: USGS)

   Range of values
   Minimum:	-83.04861
   Maximum:	-80.0967
   Units:	Decimal degrees

   Subregion

   The subregion of the Florida Keys reef tract where the core containing the sample was collected. (Source: USGS)

   Value	Definition
   Dry Tortugas N.P.	The westernmost subregion of the Florida Keys reef tract located within the boundaries of Dry Tortugas National Park (N.P.).
   Marquesas	The subregion of the Florida Keys reef tract located between Dry Tortugas National Park and the Lower Keys.
   Lower Keys	The subregion of the Florida Keys reef tract located between the Marquesas and the Middle Keys.
   Middle Keys	The subregion of the Florida Keys reef tract located between the Lower Keys and the Upper Keys.
   Upper Keys	The subregion of the Florida Keys reef tract located between the Middle Keys and Biscayne National Park.
   Biscayne N.P.	The northernmost subregion of the Florida Keys reef tract located within the boundaries of Biscayne National Park (N.P.).

   Site

   The name of the reef or site where a core was collected. (Source: USGS) The name given to the site by the researcher collecting the cores or the name of the reef where the cores were collected.

   Dating method

   Describes the type of radiometric dating used to determine the age of the sample. (Source: USGS)

   Value	Definition
   AMS	Indicates that the sample was radiocarbon dated using accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS).
   Standard Radiometric 14C	Indicates that the sample was radiocarbon (14C) dated using standard (bulk) methodologies (for example, not AMS).
   U-series	Indicates that the sample was dated using U-series methodologies (either by inductively-coupled plasma mass spectrometry or thermal ionization mass spectrometry).

   USGS Lab ID

   A unique sample ID ("WW" number) assigned by the USGS Radiocarbon laboratory, where some of the samples were processed prior to analysis. This column is left blank for samples not processed in the USGS Radiocarbon Laboratory. (Source: USGS)

   Range of values
   Minimum:	WW-5625
   Maximum:	WW-11025
   Units:	Sample number

   Radiocarbon Lab ID

   A unique sample ID assigned by the laboratory that conducted the radiocarbon analysis. Samples analyzed by the Center for AMS (CAMS) at the Lawrence Livermoore National Laboratory have a prefix of "CAMS". Samples analyzed by the National Ocean Sciences AMS laboratory at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution have a prefix of "OS". Samples analyzed by Beta Analytic, Inc. have a prefix of "Beta". Samples analyzed by the University of Miami (UM) Radiocarbon Laboratory have a prefix of "UM". In some cases, the laboratory IDs were not available, but the name of the laboratory that conducted the analysis was listed, if known. The laboratory that analyzed U-series ages is also listed, when known. If no information was available about where the samples were analyzed this field was left blank. (Source: USGS) Laboratory identifiers unique to each individual radiocarbon laboratory.

   Measured 14C age

   This attribute is only included for radiocarbon ages measured by standard radiometric radiocarbon dating, where measured, rather than corrected, conventional 14C were reported by the laboratory. These values have not been corrected for the isotopic fractionation of 12C and 13C. (Source: USGS)

   Range of values
   Minimum:	290
   Maximum:	7165
   Units:	years

   Measured 14C age error (1-sigma)

   The one standard deviation (1-sigma) laboratory error on the measured radiocarbon (14C) age. (Source: USGS)

   Range of values
   Minimum:	60
   Maximum:	224
   Units:	years

   Measured delta-13C

   The measured ?13C of the sample, used to correct for isotopic fractionation of 12C and 13C. When the measured value was unknown or unmeasured, this attribute is left blank. (Source: USGS)

   Range of values
   Minimum:	-3.61
   Maximum:	3.61
   Units:	parts per thousand (‰)

   Conventional 14C age

   The conventional 14C age is the measured 14C age corrected for the isotopic fractionation using either the measured ?13C value or an assumed value of 0±3‰. (Source: USGS)

   Range of values
   Minimum:	380
   Maximum:	>55600
   Units:	years

   14C age error (1-sigma)

   The one-standard deviation (1-sigma) uncertainty on the conventional radiocarbon (14C) age. (Source: USGS)

   Range of values
   Minimum:	15
   Maximum:	3700
   Units:	years

   Delta-R

   Marine radiocarbon reservoir age correction, ?R (Delta-R) values (in years), based on the conventional radiocarbon age of the sample. The values are based on the time-varying models of ?R for the nearshore and open ocean regions of south Florida developed by Toth and others, 2017 (https://coastal.er.usgs.gov/data-release/doi-F7P8492Q/). (Source: USGS)

   Range of values
   Minimum:	-110.583798
   Maximum:	11.525388
   Units:	years

   Delta-R error (1-sigma)

   The one-standard deviation (1-sigma) uncertainty in the marine radiocarbon reservoir age correction, ?R (Delta-R) values (in years), based on the conventional radiocarbon age of the sample. The values are based on the time-varying models of ?R for the nearshore and open ocean regions of south Florida developed by Toth and others, 2017 (https://coastal.er.usgs.gov/data-release/doi-F7P8492Q/). (Source: USGS)

   Range of values
   Minimum:	17.105691
   Maximum:	41.186146
   Units:	years

   Calibrated age BP

   The calibrated radiocarbon or U-series age in years before present (where "present" is 1950). (Source: USGS)

   Range of values
   Minimum:	0 (Modern)
   Maximum:	10491
   Units:	years before 1950

   Calibrated age BP error (2-sigma, younger)

   The minimum (youngest age) of the two-standard deviation (2-sigma) uncertainty (95% confidence interval) of the calibrated age. (Source: USGS)

   Range of values
   Minimum:	152
   Maximum:	10804
   Units:	years before 1950

   Calibrated age BP error (2-sigma, older)

   The maximum (oldest age) of the two-standard deviation (2-sigma) uncertainty (95% confidence interval) of the calibrated age. (Source: USGS)

   Range of values
   Minimum:	1
   Maximum:	10221
   Units:	years before 1950

   Depth in core (m)

   Approximated depth in the core (measured from the top of the core) of where the sample was collected, in meters (m). (Source: USGS)

   Range of values
   Minimum:	0
   Maximum:	16.8
   Units:	meters

   Water depth MSL (m)

   The depth, in meters, of the sample relative to mean sea level (MSL), calculated by subtracting the depth of the sample in the core from the depth of the reef surface where the core was collected. Note that positive values can occur if the cores were collected subaerially. (Source: USGS)

   Range of values
   Minimum:	-31.2
   Maximum:	0.2
   Units:	meters (relative to mean sea level)

   Coral taxon dated

   The taxa of the dated coral sample. Corals were generally identified to the species level, but some taxa could only be identified to the genus level. (Source: USGS)

   Value	Definition
   Orbicella spp.	The sample was collected from an Orbicella spp. coral skeleton. Includes corals belonging to the genus Orbicella (O. faveolata, O. fanksii, and O. annularis).
   Colpophyllia natans	The sample was collected from a Colpophyllia natans coral skeleton.
   Pseudodiploria strigosa	The sample was collected from a Pseudodiploria strigosa coral skeleton.
   Diploria labrynthiformis	The sample was collected from a Diploria labrynthiformis coral skeleton.
   Pseudodiploria clivosa	The sample was collected from a Pseudodiploria clivosa coral skeleton.
   Acropora cervicornis	The sample was collected from an Acropora cervicornis coral skeleton.
   Acropora palmata	The sample was collected from an Acropora palmata coral skeleton.
   unknown	The coral taxa are unknown or could not be identified
   Siderastrea siderea	The sample was collected from a Siderastrea siderea coral skeleton.
   Stephanocoenia intercepta	The sample was collected from a Stephanocoenia intercepta coral skeleton.
   Montastraea cavernosa	The sample was collected from a Montastraea cavernosa coral skeleton.
   Porites astreoides	The sample was collected from a Porites astreoides coral skeleton.
   Dichocoenia stokesii	The sample was collected from a Dichocoenia stokesii coral skeleton.

   Included in reef accretion reconstruction (Y/N)

   Indicates whether the age was included in the reef accretion reconstruction published in Toth and others, 2018. (Source: USGS)

   Value	Definition
   Y	Y=Yes the age was included in the reef accretion reconstruction of Toth and others, 2018
   N	N=No the age was not included in the reef accretion reconstruction of Toth and others, 2018

   Reason for exclusion

   If the previous attribute contains a "N", this attribute explains why the data were not included in the reef accretion reconstruction. (Source: USGS) Description of the rationale for excluding data from Toth and others' (2018) reef accretion reconstruction. More details about these rationale for exclusion are provided in Toth and others' (2018) methods section.

   FKRT_Core_Data

   General descriptive data (such as core locations, reef thickness, average accretion rates, etc.) on Holocene reef cores collected between 1976 and 2017 from the Florida Keys reef tract. (Source: Lauren T. Toth (USGS-SPCMSC))

   Core ID

   Unique identifier for each core included in this study. (Source: USGS) Core IDs are generated using abbreviated information about the subregion, site, and core number and are formatted as: Subregion abbreviation-Site abbreviation-Core number.

   Secondary Core ID

   Previously published IDs or names of the cores. Included so that researchers can cross-reference this database with previous publications and/or datasets. Left blank if the core was never referred to by a different name in any previous publications. (Source: USGS) The names cores were given in previous publications.

   Latitude

   The approximate latitude, in NAD83 coordinates, where the core was collected. (Source: USGS)

   Range of values
   Minimum:	24.4348
   Maximum:	25.5906
   Units:	Decimal degrees

   Longitude

   The approximate longitude, in NAD83 coordinates, where the core was collected. (Source: USGS)

   Range of values
   Minimum:	-83.04861
   Maximum:	-80.0967
   Units:	Decimal degrees

   Subregion

   The subregion of the Florida Keys reef tract where the core containing the sample was collected. (Source: USGS)

   Value	Definition
   Dry Tortugas N.P.	The westernmost subregion of the Florida Keys reef tract located within the boundaries of Dry Tortugas National Park (N.P.).
   Marquesas	The subregion of the Florida Keys reef tract located between Dry Tortugas National Park and the Lower Keys.
   Lower Keys	The subregion of the Florida Keys reef tract located between the Marquesas and the Middle Keys.
   Middle Keys	The subregion of the Florida Keys reef tract located between Lower Keys and the Upper Keys.
   Upper Keys	The subregion of the Florida Keys reef tract located between Middle Keys and Biscayne National Park.
   Biscayne N.P.	The northernmost subregion of the Florida Keys reef tract located within the boundaries of Biscayne National Park (N.P.).

   Site Name

   The name of the reef or site where a core was collected. (Source: USGS) The name given to the site by the researcher collecting the cores or the name of the reef where the cores were collected.

   Year core collected

   The date (year) when the core was collected. (Source: USGS)

   Range of values
   Minimum:	1976
   Maximum:	2017
   Units:	year

   Water depth MSL (m)

   The estimated water depth (in meters relative to mean sea level [m MSL]) where the core was collected. Note that positive values indicate that cores were collected subaerially. (Source: USGS)

   Range of values
   Minimum:	-24.1
   Maximum:	0.5
   Units:	meters below mean sea level (m MSL)

   Total core length (m)

   The total length (penetration depth) of the core, in meters (m). (Source: USGS)

   Range of values
   Minimum:	1.5
   Maximum:	19.1
   Units:	meters

   Total Holocene thickness (m)

   The total thickness of the Holocene layer in the reef (from the top of the core to the Pleistocene surface), including unconsolidated sediment intervals at the base of reef framework. Where total Holocene thickness could not be reliably estimated, this column is left blank. (Source: USGS)

   Range of values
   Minimum:	0.5
   Maximum:	16.8
   Units:	meters (m)

   Holocene reef thickness (m)

   The thickness of the Holocene reef framework (from the top of the core to the base of the framework), excluding unconsolidated sediments intervals at the base of reef framework. Where reef thickness could not be reliably estimated, this column is left blank. (Source: USGS)

   Range of values
   Minimum:	0.5
   Maximum:	16.8
   Units:	meters (m)

   Average accretion rate (m/ky)

   Average reef accretion rate over the lifespan of the reef in meters per thousand years (m/ky). (Source: USGS)

   Range of values
   Minimum:	0.37
   Maximum:	13.22
   Units:	meters per thousand years (m/ky)

   Age of initiation (years BP)

   Approximate age (in years before present [BP], where present is 1950) when the reef initiated growth based on dated samples at the base of the Holocene reef framework. This field is left blank for cores that did not reach the Pleistocene bedrock or cores where a bottom date for the core could not be or was not obtained. (Source: USGS)

   Range of values
   Minimum:	5384
   Maximum:	10341
   Units:	years before 1950 (BP)

   Age of senescence (years BP)

   Approximate age (in years before present [BP], where present is 1950) when the reef stopped accreting at a rate within 1 m of the rate of sea-level rise. This field is left blank for cores that never accreted on pace with the rate of sea-level rise or for cores representing reefs that only initiated during the late Holocene (4200 years ago to present). (Source: USGS)

   Range of values
   Minimum:	1103
   Maximum:	9446
   Units:	years before 1950 (BP)

   References of previous core descriptions

   Citations for publications that have described the core previously. (Source: USGS) Abbreviated citations (lead author(s) last name and year of publication) for publications that have described the core previously. See cross-references for full citations.

   Included in reef accretion reconstruction (Y/N)

   Indicates whether the age was included in the reef accretion reconstruction published in Toth and others, 2018. (Source: USGS)

   Value	Definition
   Y	Y=Yes the age was included in the reef accretion reconstruction of Toth and others, 2018.
   N	N=No the age was not included in the reef accretion reconstruction of Toth and others, 2018

   Reason for exclusion

   If the previous attribute contains a "N", this attribute explains why the data were not included in the reef accretion reconstruction. (Source: USGS) Description of the rationale for excluding data from Toth and others' (2018) reef accretion reconstruction. More details about these rationale for exclusion are provided in Toth and others' (2018).

   FKRT_Temporal_Core_Data

   Data on the reconstructed relative sea level, paleodepths, accretion rates, and rates of relative sea level change for dated intervals within Holocene reef cores from the Florida Keys reef tract (FKRT). (Source: USGS)

   Core ID

   Unique identifier for each coral sample dated in this study. (Source: USGS) Core IDs are generated using abbreviated information about the subregion, site, and core number and are formatted as: Subregion abbreviation-Site abbreviation-Core number.

   Subregion

   The subregion of the Florida Keys reef tract where the core containing the sample was collected. (Source: USGS)

   Value	Definition
   Dry Tortugas N.P.	The westernmost subregion of the Florida Keys reef tract located within the boundaries of Dry Tortugas National Park (N.P.).
   Marquesas	The subregion of the Florida Keys reef tract located between Dry Tortugas National Park and the Lower Keys.
   Lower Keys	The subregion of the Florida Keys reef tract located between the Marquesas and the Middle Keys.
   Middle Keys	The subregion of the Florida Keys reef tract located between the Lower Keys and the Upper Keys.
   Upper Keys	The subregion of the Florida Keys reef tract located between the Middle Keys and Biscayne National Park.
   Biscayne N.P.	The northernmost subregion of the Florida Keys reef tract located within the boundaries of Biscayne National Park (N.P.).

   Latitude

   The approximate latitude, in NAD83 coordinates, where the core was collected. (Source: USGS)

   Range of values
   Minimum:	24.451667
   Maximum:	25.5906
   Units:	Decimal degrees

   Longitude

   The approximate longitude, in NAD83 coordinates, where the core was collected. (Source: USGS)

   Range of values
   Minimum:	-83.04861
   Maximum:	-80.0967
   Units:	Decimal degrees

   Starting age (yrs BP)

   The age at the base (start) of the interval in the core in years before 1950 (yrs BP). (Source: USGS)

   Range of values
   Minimum:	188
   Maximum:	10341
   Units:	years before 1950

   Ending age (yrs BP)

   The age at the top (end) of the interval in the core in years before 1950 (yrs BP). (Source: USGS)

   Range of values
   Minimum:	0
   Maximum:	10143
   Units:	years before 1950

   RSL (m MSL)

   Relative sea level (RSL) at the starting age of the interval, in meters relative to mean sea level (m MSL), based on the Holocene sea-level reconstruction from south Florida developed by Khan and others (2017). (Source: USGS)

   Range of values
   Minimum:	-23.4
   Maximum:	-0.3
   Units:	meters relative to mean sea level

   Paleodepth (m bMSL)

   The estimated paleodepth at the starting age of the interval, in meters below mean sea level (m bMSL). This value was calculated by adding the relative sea level to depth of the sample in the core relative to modern mean sea level (Depth bMSL (m) in the FKRT_Radiometric_Ages dataset). We note that as a result of uncertainties in both the model of relative sea level and the estimates of depths in the cores, the paleodepth estimates for 28 intervals in the cores are above MSL; however, the paleodepths were only significantly different from MSL (i.e., the 95% CI did not overlap with zero) in nine cases. (Source: USGS)

   Range of values
   Minimum:	-3.5
   Maximum:	23.8
   Units:	depth below mean sea level in meters

   RSL and Paleodepth uncertainty (1-sigma)

   The one standard deviation (1-sigma) uncertainty associated with the relative sea level reconstruction and the estimates of paleodepth. (Source: USGS)

   Range of values
   Minimum:	0.8
   Maximum:	1.3
   Units:	meters

   Accretion rate (m/ky)

   The rate of reef accretion for the interval in meters per thousand years (m/ky). (Source: USGS)

   Range of values
   Minimum:	0.0
   Maximum:	23.1
   Units:	meters per thousand years

   Rate of RSL change (m/ky)

   The rate of relative sea level change at the midpoint (average age) of the interval, in meters per thousand years (m/ky), derived from the Holocene relative sea-level reconstruction for south Florida developed by Khan and others (2017). (Source: USGS)

   Range of values
   Minimum:	0.0
   Maximum:	8.4
   Units:	meters per thousand years

   FKRT_Accretion_500yr_Bins

   Average reef accretion and uncertainties and estimates of theoretic reef accumulation (theoretical reef thickness) and uncertainties for the entire Florida Keys Reef tract and for each subregion at 500-yr intervals. This dataset does not include data from the Marquesas subregion. (Source: USGS)

   Subregion

   The subregion of the Florida Keys reef tract where the core containing the sample was collected. (Source: USGS)

   Value	Definition
   FKRT_All	Summary of data collected throughout the FKRT from Dry Tortugas N.P. in the southwest to Biscayne N.P. in the northeast.
   Dry Tortugas N.P.	The westernmost subregion of the Florida Keys reef tract located within the boundaries of Dry Tortugas National Park (N.P.).
   Lower Keys	The subregion of the Florida Keys reef tract located between the Marquesas and the Middle Keys.
   Middle Keys	The subregion of the Florida Keys reef tract located between the Lower Keys and the Upper Keys.
   Upper Keys	The subregion of the Florida Keys reef tract located between the Middle Keys and Biscayne National Park.
   Biscayne N.P.	The northernmost subregion of the Florida Keys reef tract located within the boundaries of Biscayne National Park (N.P.).

   Median age (yrs BP)

   The median age in years before 1950 (yrs BP) of the 500-yr interval over which average accretion was calculated (for example, the interval from 500 to 0 years before present is 250). (Source: USGS)

   Range of values
   Minimum:	250
   Maximum:	8250
   Units:	years before 1950

   Average accretion rate (m/ky)

   The average accretion rate in meters per thousand years (m/ky) for the location over a 500-yr interval. (Source: USGS)

   Range of values
   Minimum:	0.016905435
   Maximum:	4.14098792
   Units:	meters per thousand years

   Accretion rate SD

   The one standard deviation (SD) uncertainty of the average accretion rate for the 500-yr interval. No value for Biscayne N.P. for the interval 7000-6500 years before present because there was only one data point during this interval, so SD could not be calculated. (Source: USGS)

   Range of values
   Minimum:	0.000760181
   Maximum:	14.22071171
   Units:	meters per thousand years

   N Accretion rate

   The number of data points (N; sample size) within the 500-yr interval. (Source: USGS)

   Range of values
   Minimum:	1
   Maximum:	57
   Units:	count (sample size)

   Accretion rate SE

   The one standard error (SE) uncertainty of the average accretion rate for the 500-yr interval. No value for Biscayne N.P. for the interval 7000-6500 years before present because there was only one data point during this interval, so SE could not be calculated. (Source: USGS)

   Range of values
   Minimum:	0.009747955
   Maximum:	1.219509294
   Units:	meters per thousand years

   Theoretical reef accumulation (m)

   The estimated theoretical thickness of reef framework that would have accumulated over the 500-yr interval in meters. (Source: USGS)

   Range of values
   Minimum:	0.008452718
   Maximum:	2.07049396
   Units:	meters

   Theoretical accumulation SE

   The one standard error (SE) uncertainty of the estimated theoretical thickness of reef framework that would have accumulated over the 500-yr interval in meters. No value for Biscayne N.P. for the interval 7000-6500 years before present because there was only one data point during this interval, so SE could not be calculated. (Source: USGS)

   Range of values
   Minimum:	0.004873977
   Maximum:	0.612913685
   Units:	meters

Who produced the data set?

1. Who are the originators of the data set? (may include formal authors, digital compilers, and editors)
   • Lauren T. Toth
   • Anastasios Stathakopoulos
   • Ilsa B. Kuffner
2. Who also contributed to the data set?
3. To whom should users address questions about the data?
   Lauren T. Toth

   Southeast Region

   Research Oceanographer

   600 4Th Street South

   St. Petersburg, FL
   

   United States

   727-502-8029 (voice)

   ltoth@usgs.gov

Why was the data set created?

Data were obtained in order to develop a comprehensive reconstruction of the development of the coral reefs of the Florida Keys reef tract during the Holocene. The data were used to reconstruct Holocene reef thickness, rates of reef accretion, and the timing of reef senescence.

How was the data set created?

1. From what previous works were the data drawn?
2. How were the data generated, processed, and modified?

   Date: 2017 (process 1 of 8)

   Collection of the Holocene reef cores: The USGS Core Archive (Reich and others 2012; https://usgs.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=2b7d5dbc0be340b9b17f6d94aac5b713) housed at the St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center (SPCMSC) contains an extensive collection of Holocene reef cores from throughout the FKRT from 1976 to present. This archive represents the legacy of more than half a century of geological and ecological research programs in the region (Shinn and Lidz, 2018). The majority of the cores were collected using the USGS hydraulic wireline drilling system (Shinn and others, 1977). The coring system is positioned over the reef by suspending the hydraulic drill from a cable attached to an aluminum tripod. Core barrels and a water hose are attached to the drill and a hydraulic water pump is used to force seawater down the borehole to flush the drill cuttings and facilitate coring. Cores are collected using a double-barrel wireline system, in which successive 5-ft (~1.5 m) sections of reef framework are cored and then recovered by removing the inner barrel, while the outer barrel remains in the reef. Three of the cores (LK-SK-6, UK-CF-1, and UK-CF-4) were collected using the SCARID hydraulic drilling system developed by Hubbard (see Hubbard, 2014). The general concept of the SCARID system is the same as the USGS coring system, but instead of being suspended by a cable from a tripod, the drill is fixed to a rigid frame, which allows for more stability and more precise determination of the depths of recovered material (Hubbard, 2014). Person who carried out this activity:
   

   Lauren T. Toth

   Southeast Region

   Research Oceanographer

   600 4Th Street South

   St. Petersburg, FL
   

   United States

   727-502-8029 (voice)

   ltoth@usgs.gov

   Date: 2018 (process 2 of 8)

   Generation of core photograph and descriptive core logs: In order to capture high-resolution images of the core records, three, close-up photographs of each core were taken using a Canon EOS Rebel digital camera. Intervals between consecutive core barrels are marked in the core boxes were indicated by printed labels in the photographs. Unless otherwise indicated, the labels indicate depth in feet in the core because the USGS coring system is designed to use Imperial measurements. A ruler was also placed within the core photographs for scale and was used to generate scale markers at the bottom of each photo mosaic. Photographic core logs were generated by creating high-resolution photo-mosaics of the three core photographs using the Photomerge tool in Adobe® Photoshop® CC 2017. Using the cores for reference, all recovered reef material visible in the photographic core logs was identified. Coral skeletons were generally identified to the species level; however, some species of coral such as: Orbicella spp. (O. faveolata, O. annularis, and O. franksii), branching Porites spp. (P. divaricata, P. furcata, and P. porites), Pseudodiploria spp. (P. strigose and P. clivosa), and Millepora spp. (M. alcicornis, M. complanata, M. squarosa, and M. striata) were pooled to the genus level because they could not be reliably identified to the species level. Carbonate reef rocks and unconsolidated sediments were identified categorically.
   The composition of each core was quantified by tracing the projected surface area of each core component on the digital core photographs using the Area Analysis Tool in the program Coral Point Count with Excel extensions (CPCe; Kohler and Gill, 2006). The data collected in CPCe were used to determine percentage recovery and percentage composition of coral taxa within each recovered interval of the cores. First, the theoretical projected surface area was calculated by multiplying the diameter of the core as measured in CPCe by the actual penetration depth of that core interval. Percentage recovery was then determined by dividing the total measured area of each interval by the theoretical projected surface area of that interval. Similarly, the absolute percentage composition of coral taxa was calculated. These data were simplified into five categories: (1) Acropora palmata, (1) Orbicella spp., (3) Pseudodiploria spp., (4) carbonate reef rock and (5) "Other corals", which included any corals not included in the other categories. The names of the species grouped under the "Other corals" category are listed in the Abbreviations section of Core log key.pdf, which can be found in FKRT_Descriptive_Core_Logs.zip. These data were used to generate simplified core logs for each core using RockWare© LogPlot™ 7 software. The symbology of the core logs represents the dominant coral taxon or reef carbonate in an interval. The description of the interval includes any taxa that represented at least 5% of that interval by area. The total percent recovery of each interval is represented by the width of the bars on the right side of the core log and the coloration of those bars represents the percentage contribution of the four categories of core constituents described above. The tops of the core logs also contain descriptive information about the core locations (summarized in FKRT_Core_Data), who collected the cores and when (from Reich and others, 2012), and who compiled the core log (L.T. Toth). Please note that the core logs are generally based on the information that could be gathered from the core boxes. Where core logs from the field were available, USGS staff also incorporated information about the position of likely voids in the cores, but this information was not available for cores collected before 2006. No attempt was made to recreate the detailed core logs for the cores from Sand Key (LK-SK-2, LK-SK-5, LK-SK-6, LK-SK-7) and Carysfort Reefs (UK-CF-1, UK-CF-2, UK-CF-3, UK-CF-4, UK-CF-5) generated by Toscano (1996) because the core boxes did not contain adequate information to cross-reference with the published core logs. Additionally, a core log for core DT-LB-2 was not generated because the recovery of this core was so poor.
   Also included are calibrated ages and the 95% confidence intervals (CI) of those calibrated ages on the core logs (see Radiometric dating of Holocene reef cores process step). Only ages that were significantly different from adjacent ages in the cores logs were included. Researchers determined whether the differences between any pair of sequential dates with conventional 14C ages or calibrated U-series ages within 500 years (yrs) of one another were significant by calculating the standard error of the difference (SEdiff) and 95% CIs of two ages. If the CIs did not overlap, the ages were considered to be significantly different from one another and were included in the accretion calculations. In instances in which the 95% CI of two sequential dates in a core overlapped (were not significantly different), we omitted the age with a 1? uncertainty >50 yrs or the age that allowed for the most even spread of ages within the core. Person who carried out this activity:
   

   Lauren T. Toth

   Southeast Region

   Research Oceanographer

   600 4Th Street South

   St. Petersburg, FL
   

   United States

   727-502-8029 (voice)

   ltoth@usgs.gov

   Date: 2018 (process 3 of 8)

   Radiometric dating: Coral samples collected for radiometric dating were cut from the cores using a tile saw at USGS-SPCMSC, which is dedicated to that purpose. The samples were generally sonicated for 15 minutes in a bath of warm, deionized water and dried at 60 degrees Celsius prior to shipping to the laboratories. Radiocarbon ages were generally determined using accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) at either the Lawrence Livermoore National Laboratory (processed at the USGS Radiocarbon Laboratory in Reston, VA) or the National Ocean Sciences AMS facility at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. Some samples were dated using standard radiometric dating at the University of Miami Radiocarbon Laboratory, Beta Analytic, Inc. or Geochron Laboratories. Conventional 14C ages were corrected for fractionation of 13C. The ?13C of those samples was either measured by University of California, Davis Stable Isotope Laboratory or, if not measured, were assumed to be 0±3‰ (Toth and others, 2018). The conventional radiocarbon ages were calibrated in Calib 7.0.2 (http://calib.org/calib/) using the time-varying estimates of the local reservoir age, ?R, for the nearshore and open-ocean environments of the FKRT developed by Toth and others (2017; available at https://coastal.er.usgs.gov/data-release/doi-F7P8492Q/). The full radiocarbon dataset is available in Toth and others (2018). Ages determined by U-series analysis were conducted using either multicollector inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry at Xi’an Jiaotong University in China using standard methodologies (see Toth and others, 2018) or by Thermal Ionization Mass Spectrometry (see Toscano 1996; Toscano and Lundberg 1998, 1999). Person who carried out this activity:
   

   Lauren T Toth

   Southeast Region

   Research Oceanographer

   600 4Th Street South

   St. Petersburg, FL
   

   United States

   727-502-8029 (voice)

   ltoth@usgs.gov

   Date: 2018 (process 4 of 8)

   Determining reef thickness: As a measure of the degree of reef development across the subregions of the FKRT, scientists quantified the thickness of the Holocene reef framework using the core records that reached the Pleistocene bedrock. Researchers only included records where they were able to confidently identify the Holocene-Pleistocene boundary on the basis of at least one of the following three criteria: 1) ages from samples on either side of the boundary, 2) the presence of a soilstone (or “caliche”) crust characteristic of the Holocene-Pleistocene boundary in south Florida, or 3) a clear distinction between the Holocene and Pleistocene based on diagenetic alteration to calcite or a shift from coral framework to carbonate grainstones or boundstones. In the 31 cores that met these criteria, the estimated depth of core penetration to the base of the Holocene reef framework was used to quantify reef thickness. In some of the cores, there was a sand layer between Holocene and Pleistocene facies. The thickness of the Holocene reef with and without these sediment layers are both included in the FKRT_Core_Data dataset. "Total Holocene thickness" includes the unconsolidated sediment layer and "Holocene reef thickness" does not include the sediment layer. Person who carried out this activity:
   

   Lauren T. Toth

   Southeast Region

   Research Oceanographer

   600 4Th Street South

   St. Petersburg, FL
   

   United States

   727-502-8029 (voice)

   ltoth@usgs.gov

   Date: 2018 (process 5 of 8)

   Reef accretion, initiation, and senescence: Rates of vertical reef accretion (referred to throughout as simply “reef accretion”), in meters per thousand years (equivalent to mm/yr), of dated intervals within individual cores were calculated by dividing the length of each interval by the time span of that interval (summarized in FKRT_Temporal_Core_Data). The ages used in the accretion calculation were the median probabilities of the radiocarbon calibrations. Temporal variability in overall FKRT reef accretion during the Holocene was evaluated by averaging reef accretion rates from all cores (±SE) within 500-yr bins from 8500 years before present (BP; where present is 1950) to present. Similarly, USGS researchers quantified spatial variability in temporal changes in reef accretion by calculating average accretion rates for each subregion (±SE) within 500-yr age bins from 7000 BP to present (FKRT_Subregion_Accretion_500yr_Bins). Researchers also calculated the average rates of reef accretion over the lifespan of the reef represented by each core record by dividing the depth of the deepest age in the core by that age. USGS researchers determined the average timing of reef initiation based on ages in the cores that were within 1 m of the Holocene-Pleistocene boundary. A reef was considered to be senescent when the rate of vertical reef accretion was no longer keeping pace with relative sea-level (RSL) rise. Researchers used the modeled rates of SL rise from Khan and other (2017) to approximate the rates of RSL rise through the Holocene and compared those rates to the rates of reef accretion in the cores (summarized in FKRT_Temporal_Core_Data). In most cores, reefs accreted rapidly for some time, but accretion declined significantly in recent millennia. For these cores, the uppermost measured age in the core before the reef began accreting more slowly than sea level was rising (within average uncertainty of the RSL rate reconstruction: ±1 m [2?]) was used to estimate the timing of reef senescence. In four cores accretion rates were never within 1 m of the modeled rate of RSL rise. These cores were excluded from the analysis of the timing of reef senescence. USGS researchers also did not determine the timing of reef senescene for cores that only started accreting on pace with the rate of RSL rise during the late Holocene (after 4200 years ago) because these records represented a separate, more recent period of reef growth. In cases where accretion rates measured in a core never fell below 1 meter per thousand years (m/ky), the age of the top surface of the core was used to estimate the timing of reef senescence. These samples were always from the first barrel (upper 5 ft, 1.5 m) of the core, and were generally within 0.5 m below the reef surface. Person who carried out this activity:
   

   Lauren T. Toth

   Southeast Region

   Research Oceanographer

   600 4Th Street South

   St. Petersburg, FL
   

   United States

   727-502-8029 (voice)

   ltoth@usgs.gov

   Date: 2018 (process 6 of 8)

   Criteria for excluding data from accretion analysis: To ensure that all the cores included Toth and others' (2018) study were from a similar environmental setting, USGS researchers used the model of Holocene sea-level variability developed by Khan and others (2017) to reconstruct the paleodepths of all dated intervals in the cores (summarized in FKRT_Temporal_Core_Data). Researchers excluded any intervals within the cores that were deposited in depths significantly >10 m (based on 95% confidence intervals of estimated paleodepths). We also excluded core records from the USGS coral archive that were taken from non-reef-building habitats (for example, reef grooves). Accretion rates can be artificially inflated when sequential dates within a core are similar enough that the entire layer could have been deposited simultaneously. To avoid this potential complication, USGS researchers determined whether the differences between any pair of sequential dates with conventional 14C ages or calibrated U-series ages within 500-yrs of one another were significant by calculating the standard error of the difference (SEdiff) and 95% CIs of two ages. If the CIs did not overlap, the ages were considered to be significantly different from one another and were included in the accretion calculations. In instances in which the 95% CI of two sequential dates in a core overlapped (were not significantly different), researchers omitted the age with a 1? uncertainty >50 yrs or the age that allowed for the most even spread of ages within the core. Person who carried out this activity:
   

   Lauren T Toth

   Southeast Region

   Research Oceanographer

   600 4Th Street South

   St. Petersburg, FL
   

   United States

   727-502-8029 (voice)

   ltoth@usgs.gov

   Date: 20-Feb-2018 (process 7 of 8)

   The locations for cores collected prior to the mid 1990s are estimates. For the remaining cores, the NAD83 latitude/longitude coordinates were collected using a Garmin GPSMAP 78SC handheld Global Positioning System (GPS) and written into field notebooks. All of the high-resolution coral core photographs included in FKRT_Core_Photographs.zip were taken at the USGS SPCMSC, using a Canon EOS Rebel camera. EXchangeable Image File format (EXIF) headers were initially populated by the camera’s imaging software but were subsequently updated by USGS staff to include additional core-related details. A Python version 2.7.3 script (UpdatePhotoEXIFv3.py) was run to incorporate location information and auxiliary details into the appropriate locations in the EXIF header of each full-resolution JPEG image. The Python script used ExifTool (version 10.25) to write the information to the image headers. The following tags were populated in the JPEG image headers. Information is duplicated in some tags. This was done because different software packages access different tags.
   GPS tags: The values populated are unique for each image and based on the information exported from the handheld GPS or estimated location.

   GPSLatitudeRef
   GPSLatitude
   GPSLongitudeRef
   GPSLongitude
   GPSTimeStamp
   GSPDateStamp
   
   

   JPEG tags: The tag is listed along with the information used to populate it - which is the same for every image taken with a particular camera. The following information is based on the Canon EOS Rebel camera.

   comment: Photo of cores collected from the Florida Keys Reef Tract (FKRT) to investigate Holocene coral-reef development. These data are associated with field activity number 2018-301-DD (https://cmgds.marine.usgs.gov/fan_info.php?fan=2018-301-DD). Published as USGS data release DOI:10.5066/F7NV9HJX.

   EXIF tags: The tag is listed along with the information used to populate it - which is the same for every image.

   ImageDescription: Photograph of coral core collected from the Florida Keys Reef Tract, Florida.

   Artist: Lauren Toth
   Copyright: Public Domain - please credit U.S. Geological Survey
   
   

   IPTC tags: The tag is listed along with the information used to populate it - which is the same for every image.

   Credit: U.S. Geological Survey
   Contact: gs-g-spcmsc_data_inquiries@usgs.gov
   Keywords: Dry Tortugas National Park, Florida Keys Reef Tract (FKRT), Florida, Florida Keys, coral, coral reef, Holocene, reef accretion, paleoecology, paleoenvironmental reconstruction, 2018-301-DD, USGS
   CopyrightNotice: Public Domain - please credit U.S. Geological Survey
   Caption-Abstract: Photograph of coral core collected from the Florida Keys Reef Tract, Florida.
   
   

   XMP tags: The tag is listed along with the information used to populate it - which is the same for every image.

   Caption: Photograph of coral core collected from the Florida Keys Reef Tract, Florida.
   
   

   To extract the information from the image headers using ExifTool, the following command can be used (tested with ExifTool version 10.25):

   exiftool.exe -csv -f -filename -GPSTimeStamp -GPSLongitude -GPSLatitude -n -Artist -Credit -comment -keywords -Caption -Copyright -CopyrightNotice -Caption-Abstract -ImageDescription photos/*.jpg > out.csv

   The -csv flag writes the information out in a comma-delimited format. The -n option formats the latitude and longitude as signed decimal degrees. Person who carried out this activity:
   

   Arnell S. Forde

   U.S. Geological Survey, St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Geology Science Center

   Geologist

   600 4th Street South

   Saint Petersburg, Florida
   

   U.S.A.

   727-502-8000 (voice)

   aforde@usgs.gov

   Date: 13-Oct-2020 (process 8 of 8)

   Added keywords section with USGS persistent identifier as theme keyword. Person who carried out this activity:
   

   U.S. Geological Survey

   Attn: VeeAnn A. Cross

   Marine Geologist

   384 Woods Hole Road

   Woods Hole, MA
   

   508-548-8700 x2251 (voice)

   508-457-2310 (FAX)

   vatnipp@usgs.gov

3. What similar or related data should the user be aware of?
   Reich, Chris, Streubert, Matt, Dwyer, Brendan, Godbout, Meg, Muslic, Adis, and Umberger, Dan, 2012, St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center's Core Archive Portal: U.S. Geological Survey Data Series 626, U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, VA.

   Online Links:

   • https://pubs.usgs.gov/ds/626/

   Toth, Lauren T., Kuffner, Ilsa B., Stathakopoulos, Anastasios, and Shinn, Eugene A., 2018, The development and demise of the Florida Keys reef tract: Nature Geoscience, Macmillan Publishers Limited, Basingstoke, United Kingdom.

   Toth, Lauren T., Cheng, Hai, Edwards, R. Lawrence, Ashe, Erica, and Richey, Julie, 2017, Local Radiocarbon Reservoir Age (?R) Variability from the Nearshore and Open-Ocean Environments of the Florida Keys Reef Tract During the Holocene and Associated U-Series and Radiocarbon Data: U.S. Geological Survey Data Release doi:10.5066/F7P8492Q, U.S. Geological Survey, St. Petersburg, FL.

   Online Links:

   • https://coastal.er.usgs.gov/data-release/doi-F7P8492Q/

   Shinn, E.A., Hudson, J.H., Halley, R.B., and Lidz, B.H., 1977, Topographic control and accumulation rate of some Holocene coral reefs: South Florida and Dry Tortugas: Proceedings of the 3rd International Coral Reef Symposium, Coral Gables, FL.

   Mallinson, D., Hine, A., Hallock, P., Locker, S., Shinn, E., Naar, D., Donahue, B., and Weaver, D., 2003, Development of small carbonate banks on the south Florida platform margin: response to sea level and climate change: Marine Geology Volume 199, Issues 1–2, Elsevier, Amsterdam, Netherlands.

   Online Links:

   • https://doi.org/10.1016/S0025-3227(03)00141-5

   Brock, J.C., Palaseanu-Lovejoy, M., Poore, R.Z., Nayegandhi, A., and Wright, C.W., 2010, Holocene aggradation of the Dry Tortugas coral reef ecosystem: Coral Reefs Volume 29, Issue 4, Springer, Berlin, Germany.

   Online Links:

   • https://doi.org/10.1007/s00338-010-0658-6

   Hickey, T.D., Reich, C.D., DeLong, K.L., Poore, R.Z., and Brock, J.C., 2012, Holocene core logs and site methods for modern reef and head-coral cores - Dry Tortugas National Park, Florida: U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, VA.

   Online Links:

   • https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2012/1095/pdf/ofr2012-1095.pdf

   Toth, L.T., Kuffner, I.B., Cheng, H., and Edwards, R.L., 2015, A new record of the late Pleistocene coral Pocillopora palmata from the Dry Tortugas, Florida reef tract, USA: Palaios 30 (12): 827–835, Society for Sedimentary Geology, Tulsa, OK.

   Online Links:

   • https://doi.org/10.2110/palo.2015.030

   Dustan, P., Lidz, B.H., and Shinn, E.A., 1991, Impact of exploratory wells, offshore Florida: a biological assessment: Bulletin of Marine Science 48 (1): 94–124, University of Miami, Miami, FL.

   Toscano, M.A., and Lundberg, J., 1998, Early Holocene sea-level record from submerged fossil reefs on the southeast Florida margin: Geology 26 (3): 255–258, Geological Society of America, McLean, VA.

   Online Links:

   • https://doi.org/10.1130/0091-7613(1998)026<0255:EHSLRF>2.3.CO;2

   Toscano, M.A., and Lundberg, J., 1999, Submerged Late Pleistocene reefs on the tectonically-stable S.E. Florida margin: high-precision geochronology, stratigraphy, resolution of Substage 5a sea-level elevation, and orbital forcing: Quaternary Science Reviews Volume 18, Issue 6, Elsevier, Berlin, Germany.

   Online Links:

   • https://doi.org/10.1016/S0277-3791(98)00077-8

   Toscano, M.A., 1996, Late quaternary stratigraphy, sea-level history and paleoclimatology of the southeast Florida outer continental shelf. Ph.D. dissertation: University of South Florida, Department of Marine Science, St. Petersburg, FL.

   Shinn, E.A., Hudson, J.H., Robbin, D.M., and Lidz, B.H., 1982, Spurs and grooves revisited: construction versus erosion Looe Key reef, Florida: Marine Sciences Center, University of the Philippines, Quezon City, Philippines.

   Online Links:

   • https://pubs.er.usgs.gov/publication/70122248

   Other_Citation_Details:

   Fourth International Coral Reef Symposium, Manila, Philippines, 18-22 May 1981

   Shinn, E.A., 1980, Geologic history of Grecian Rocks, Key Largo coral reef marine sanctuary: Bulletin of Marine Science 30 (3): 646–656, University of Miami, Miami, FL.

   Robbin, D.M., 1982, Subaerial CaCO3 crust: a tool for timing reef initiation and defining sea level changes: Marine Sciences Center, University of the Philippines, Quezon City, Philippines.

   Online Links:

   • https://pubs.er.usgs.gov/publication/70122248

   Other_Citation_Details:

   Fourth International Coral Reef Symposium, Manila, Philippines, 18-22

   Gleason, Patrick J., 1984, Environments of South Florida: Present and Past, II: Miami Geological Society, Coral Gables, FL.

   Other_Citation_Details:

   D.M. Robbin, A New Holocene Sea Level Curve for Upper Florida Keys and Florida Reef Tract

   Reich, C.D., Halley, R.B., Hickey, T., and Swarzenski, P., 2006, Groundwater characterization and assessment of contaminants in marine areas of Biscayne National Park: U.S. Geological Survey, St. Petersburg, FL.

   Online Links:

   • https://sofia.usgs.gov/publications/reports/bisc_gw_char/index.html

   Reich, C.D., Hickey, T.D., DeLong, K.L., Poore, R.Z., and Brock, J.C., 2009, Holocene core logs and site statistics for modern patch-reef cores: Biscayne National Park, Florida: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2009-1246, U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, VA.

   Online Links:

   • https://pubs.er.usgs.gov/publication/ofr20091246

   Khan, N.S., Ashe, E., Horton, B.P., Dutton, A., Kopp, R.E., Brocard, G., Engelhart, S.E., Hill, D.F., Peltier, W.R., Vane, C.H., and Scatena, F.N., 2017, Drivers of Holocene sea-level change in the Caribbean: Quaternary Science Reviews Volume 155, Quaternary Science Reviews, Elsevier, Amsterdam, Netherlands.

   Online Links:

   • https://doi.org/10.1016/j.quascirev.2016.08.032.

   Hubbard, D.K., 2014, Holocene accretion rates and styles for Caribbean coral reefs: lessons for the past and future: SEPM Society for Sedimentary Geology, Tulsa, OK.

   Online Links:

   • https://doi.org/10.2110/sepmsp.105.03

   Shinn, E.A., and Lidz, B.H., 2018, Geology of the Florida Keys: University Press of Florida, Gainesville, FL.

   Kohler, K.E., and Gill, S.M., 2006, Coral Point Count with Excel extensions (CPCe): A Visual Basic program for the determination of coral and substrate coverage using random point count methodology: Computers & Geosciences Volume 32, Issue 9, Elsevier, Amsterdam, Netherlands.

   Online Links:

   • https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cageo.2005.11.009

How reliable are the data; what problems remain in the data set?

1. How well have the observations been checked?
   All of the descriptive data from the cores (for example, water depths where cores were collected, depths of samples in cores, depth to Pleistocene bedrock) and all of the derived data from the cores (accretion rates, timing of initiation, timing of senescence) were independently verified using primary data by two of the contributors to this data release (L. Toth and A. Stathakopoulos).
2. How accurate are the geographic locations?
   Many of the cores included in this database were collected before the advent of modern GPS (during the 1970s and 1980s) so the locations are estimated. Locations from cores collected after the mid-1990s were measured using either handheld GPS (generally the Garmin GPSMAP 78SC), vessel GPS, or were surveyed in the field. For the locations that were measured with GPS, the latitude and longitude (in decimal degrees) are referenced to the North American Datum of 1983 (NAD83).
3. How accurate are the heights or depths?
   Water depths were generally estimated by researchers in the field using handheld, submersible depth gauges; however, more accurate survey methods were used in some cases for cores collected after the early 2000s. For cores collected prior to the early 2000s, data on water depths was mined from previous publications, field notes, and/or core boxes.
4. Where are the gaps in the data? What is missing?
   Dataset is considered complete for the information presented, as described in the abstract. Users are advised to read the rest of the metadata record carefully for additional details. Note that although data on cores DT-LB-2, DT-TB-3, LK-SK-2, LK-SK-5, LK-SK-6, LK-SK-7, LK-SK-7, UK-CF-1, UK-CF-2, UK-CF-3, UK-CF-4, and UK-CF-5 and surface samples LK-RK-N1, LK-RK-N2, LK-RK-N3, LK-SK-N4, and LK-SK-N5 are included in the FKRT_Radiometric_Ages and FKRT_Core_Data spreadsheets, core logs were not generated for those cores for the following reasons: DT-LB-2: Recovery in this core was too poor to generate an accurate core log DT-TB-3: This core was collected through a living coral head with no recovery of Holocene reef, so it was not appropriate to include this core in the database of Holocene core logs LK-SK and UK-CF cores: Core logs for these cores were generated by the original researchers in Toscano, 1996. USGS staff were unable to replicate the detail of the core logs in this publication so researchers did not attempt to make new logs for these cores. LK-RK-N1, N2, N3 and LK-SK-N4, N4, N5: These are very short cores of the upper Holocene reef, generally through a single coral head, so it was not appropriate to generate core logs for these cores.
5. How consistent are the relationships among the observations, including topology?
   All of the data falls within expected ranges. Where there are blank fields in the datasets, the data either could not be or were not collected for that sample or core. In FKRT_Radiometric_Ages: Measured 14C ages and associated errors are only included for samples that were dated with standard radiometric dating; only conventional ages are reported for accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) ages; measured delta-13C is only included for samples where delta-13C was directly measured and for other samples it was assumed to be 0 per mil with an uncertainty of +/-4 per mil. In FKRT_Core_Data: Holocene thickness values are not included for cores that did not reach the Pleistocene bedrock or for those for which the depth of the Holocene-Pleistocene transition could not be reliably estimated; age of initiation was only included for cores that reached the Pleistocene bedrock, which had a sample dated within 1 m of the Holocene-Pleistocene boundary; scientists did not estimate the timing of senescene for reef that only began keeping pace with sea level during the late Holocene.

How can someone get a copy of the data set?

Are there legal restrictions on access or use of the data?

Access_Constraints: none
Use_Constraints: none

1. Who distributes the data set? (Distributor 1 of 1)
   
   Lauren T. Toth

   Southeast Region

   Research Oceanographer

   600 4Th Street South

   St. Petersburg, FL
   

   United States

   727-502-8029 (voice)

   ltoth@usgs.gov
2. What's the catalog number I need to order this data set?
3. What legal disclaimers am I supposed to read?

   Although these data have been processed successfully on a computer system at the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), no warranty expressed or implied is made regarding the display or utility of the data on any other system, or for general or scientific purposes, nor shall the act of distribution constitute any such warranty. The USGS shall not be held liable for improper or incorrect use of the data described or contained herein. Any use of trade, firm, or product names is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.

4. How can I download or order the data?
   • Availability in digital form:

     Data format:

     CSV (Comma Separated Values) (version None)

     Network links:

     https://coastal.er.usgs.gov/data-release/doi-F7NV9HJX/data/FKRT_Radiometric_Ages.zip https://coastal.er.usgs.gov/data-release/doi-F7NV9HJX/data/FKRT_Core_Data.zip https://coastal.er.usgs.gov/data-release/doi-F7NV9HJX/data/FKRT_Accretion_500yr_Bins.zip https://coastal.er.usgs.gov/data-release/doi-F7NV9HJX/data/FKRT_Temporal_Core_Data.zip https://coastal.er.usgs.gov/data-release/doi-F7NV9HJX/data/FKRT_Core_Photographs.zip https://coastal.er.usgs.gov/data-release/doi-F7NV9HJX/data/FKRT_Descriptive_Core_Logs.zip

   • Cost to order the data: None

5. What hardware or software do I need in order to use the data set?

   None

Who wrote the metadata?

Dates:

Last modified: 13-Oct-2020

Metadata author:

Lauren T. Toth

Southeast Region

Research Oceanographer

600 4th Street South

St. Petersburg, FL

United States

727-502-8029 (voice)

ltoth@usgs.gov

Metadata standard:

Content Standard for Digital Geospatial Metadata (FGDC-STD-001-1998)