Paleo Slide Set: Coral Paleoclimatology
Ecuadorean ship Wahoo off Bartholeme, Galapagos Islands (1S, 89W).

The first and most obvious ingredient in coral research is the corals themselves. 
But coral alone does not attract the paleoclimatologist's eye. The location of a site 
is also extremely important. Paleoclimatologists are interested only in those sites 
where a clear, identifiable climatic signal can be detected. In earlier slides, 
we discussed how El Nino activity affected different areas of the Pacific. 
It is these places where El Nino leaves a clear signature to which scientists 
take the time, effort, and expense to travel. The Galapagos Islands in the eastern 
Pacific exhibit wide ENSO-linked variations in sea surface temperatures and thus make 
an ideal site for research. In this slide, the Ecuadorian ship Wahoo prepares to take 
a group of paleoclimatologists to the reefs off of Bartholome.

Photo Credits:
Glen Shen
School of Oceanography, University of Washington