Long-Term Growth Records of Four Massive Coral Colonies from Haitian Reefs: Colony-Specific Variability and Associations with SST and ENSO

Coral reefs throughout the Caribbean are increasingly exposed to climate-driven thermal variability, yet long-term coral growth records remain scarce for Haiti. This study examined long-term growth variability in four massive coral colonies (Siderastrea siderea and Diploria labyrinthiformis) collected from three Haitian reef systems: Léogâne, Caracol, and Belle-Anse. Annual growth bands were identified from X-radiographs, and linear extension and skeletal density were quantified using sclerochronological and densitometric analyses, while calcification was derived from their product. Relationships between annual growth parameters and site-specific sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies were assessed using Pearson correlations, while annual mean Niño 3.4 anomalies were used to characterize El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) variability. Composite analyses were also used descriptively to examine growth responses during selected El Niño and La Niña conditions. The four colonies exhibited substantial interannual variability in skeletal growth. Mean linear extension ranged from 0.47 ± 0.16 to 0.64 ± 0.14 cm yr−1, skeletal density from 0.82 ± 0.11 to 1.47 ± 0.24 g cm−3, and calcification from 0.53 ± 0.21 to 0.81 g cm−2 yr−1. Pearson correlations revealed colony-specific SST–growth relationships, with the strongest positive associations observed for skeletal density in B82 (r = 0.318) and calcification in Diploria labyrinthiformis SE1 (r = 0.302), whereas other relationships were weaker or differed in direction. ENSO composites likewise showed heterogeneous responses among colonies and climatic phases. Overall, these results highlight pronounced colony-specific growth variability and heterogeneous associations with SST and ENSO, providing an important long-term sclerochronological baseline for Haitian reefs.