CT scans using RunningcoralGUI and OsiriX (2014)

Undergraduate: Ashley Foguel

Faculty Advisor: Karl Castillo
Department: Geology

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Density, extension, and calcification have been regarded as some of the most useful measurements for calculating coral growth, which changes with and, thus, can be used as a record of past climate changes. Therefore, it is important to use the most precise and advanced image technology when taking these measurements. Whereas most studies of coral growth have relied on annual growth measurements extracted from x-ray images relying on heavy front end calibration, the recent utilization of CT scans for coral cores has opened new possibilities for speed, accuracy and, through RunningcoralGUI and OsiriX, the ability to extract semi-annual growth measurements from any cross sectional slice of the core. Having the freedom to ¿slice¿ a coral core not only provides a more exact evaluation of coral growth, but will also allow the user to select the clearest cross section of the core for analysis. We stress the importance of taking advantage of the CT scan image technology in the study of coral growth to gain faster, more detailed, and more accurate measurements.