Long-term culture experiment of Porites under light-controlled conditions:

Analyses of skeletal δ¹³C and photosynthetic parameters

Abstract

Reef-building corals are susceptible to environmental stresses such as high water temperature and strong light intensity. Growth-ring formation and isotopic compositions of coral skeletons are known to be affected by various environmental factors. To understand the effect of light on skeletogenesis of corals, we conducted a long-term indoor culture experiment of Porites under different light conditions and analyzed the correlation between the carbon isotope fractionation and the photosynthetic parameters of the symbiotic alga. Here, we report the detailed protocols about over 500-day coral culture and biological and geochemical analyses.