NOAA/WDS Paleoclimatology - Monthly interpolated d18O from Porites lobata coral at Short Drop Off, Republic of Palau from 1993-2003 AD

High-resolution measurements of the stable oxygen isotopic signature (d18O) of two new 10-year Porites lobata coral cores and one previously studied multi-decadal sclerosponge Acanthocheatetes wellsi from Republic of Palau (7¼16'N, 134¼31'E) located in the Western Pacific Warm Pool were analyzed and monthly interpolated time-series records developed. Despite significant differences in collection depth and growth rates, both coral and sclerosponge faithfully recorded the interannual changes of sea surface salinity (SSS) driven by the strong influence of the El Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO). The strong relationship of coral skeletal d18O with SSS, but not sea surface temperature or precipitation, confirms previous findings that changes in Palau regional surface water are driven by the advection of water masses into the area over interannual timescales associated with ENSO. Opportunities exist for the expansion of short coral proxy records with longer sclerosponge records to verify the stability of ENSO-induced SSS variability over longer timescales.