Evolution of reef growth in response to sea level. (a) GMSL history with an early ascending Last Interglacial (LIG) peak, corresponding to RSL curves in b–c. Timing of the GMSL highstand is indicated with a dashed black line. (b) Relative sea level history (RSL; blue line) at Abaco Island (starred location in Fig. 1b), Bahamas produced by the GMSL in (a). Coral elevation (top of the modelled coral reef) as a function of RSL is shown with a red line. On the left axis, the present-day coral elevation is shown as a red dot, and the RSL recorded by the present-day coral (RSL at the time when the top of the reef was formed) is shown as a blue dot. A schematic for calculating the RSL recorded by the present-day coral is shown, with the age of the exposed coral fossil marked in dark grey on the x-axis (time axis). Shading indicates whether the coral is catching up to sea level (yellow) or eroding (grey). Coral elevation is static where there is no shading. (c) Same as b, for RSL at Houtman Abrolhos Islands (starred location in Fig. 1c), western Australia. (d–f) Same as a–c, for a GMSL history with an intermediate ascending LIG peak.