The carbonate skeletons of massive corals incorporate various elements in their skeleton as a response to changes in sea surface temperature, precipitation, primary productivity, pH and other environmental factors. History of heavy metal pollution, flooding and bleaching events can also be detected using the said skeletons. Various projects have used the density banding patterns of these massive corals to determine long-term changes in SST and upwelling in different sites in the country. The presence of boulder-sized massive corals on reef flats has also been utilized to look at the history of tsunami, typhoon and storm events along various coasts in the country.