The USGS Rotating X-ray Computed Tomography (RXCT) Coral-Core Archive: Scope, access, and standardization
Journal of Marine Science and Engineering
Links
- More information: Publisher Index Page (via DOI)
- Download citation as: RIS | Dublin Core
Abstract
We announce the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Rotating X-ray Computed Tomography (RXCT) Coral-Core Archive, a digital resource derived from ~400 coral reef cores curated at the USGS Pacific and St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Centers. The archive de-livers calibrated 3-D image volumes that enable reproducible values of skeletal density, linear extension, and calcification from decadal-to-centennials scale records of coral growth and bioerosion. Cross-study comparability within the archive is supported by a unified RXCT workflow that minimizes imaging artifacts. This includes rejecting im-age-intensity–density regressions with r² < 0.95, back-calculating standard densities to verify a ±10% target precision, and confirming that band-averaged density values fall within published species- and site-specific ranges. Given global coral-reef decline and the rarity of physical archives, we release data under FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interopera-ble, Reusable) principles. Calibrated imagery and scan metadata are distributed through CoralCache/CoralCT for analysis (DeCarlo et al., 2025), while core locations and collection metadata are published through the USGS Geologic Core and Sample Database (DOI: 10.5066/F7319TR3) with links to CT slice imagery in a USGS ScienceBase repository (DOI: 10.5066/P139Y9H4). This archive provides a powerful dataset for evaluating environ-mental controls on coral growth, establishing restoration baselines, and improving coastal-hazard assessments in the face of global coral-reef declines.
Suggested Citation
Oberle, F.K., Toth, L.T., Prouty, N.G., Santos, B., Jacobs, J.A., Bloomer, S., Bagheri, K., Williams, B., Padgett, J.S., Stathakopoulos, A., and La Selle, S., 2026, The USGS Rotating X-ray Computed Tomography (RXCT) Coral-Core Archive: Scope, access, and standardization: Journal of Marine Science and Engineering, v. 14, no. 5, 490, 15 p., https://doi.org/10.3390/jmse14050490.
| Publication type | Article |
|---|---|
| Publication Subtype | Journal Article |
| Title | The USGS Rotating X-ray Computed Tomography (RXCT) Coral-Core Archive: Scope, access, and standardization |
| Series title | Journal of Marine Science and Engineering |
| DOI | 10.3390/jmse14050490 |
| Volume | 14 |
| Issue | 5 |
| Publication Date | March 04, 2026 |
| Year Published | 2026 |
| Language | English |
| Publisher | Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (MDPI) |
| Contributing office(s) | Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center |
| Description | 490, 15 p. |
| Country | United States |
| Other Geospatial | American Somoa, Guam, Florida, Hawaii, U.S. Virgin Islands |