Sea-surface temperature reconstruction from trace elements variations of tropical coralline red algae

We used laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICPMS) to obtain high-resolution variations of the Mg/Ca, Sr/Ca and Li/Ca composition of free-living forms (i.e. rhodoliths) of the coralline red algal species Sporolithon durum in order to test their potential to archive seawater temperature information. A monitoring experiment was conducted based on alizarin red S (ARS) staining of rhodoliths specimens collected in various locations across a ∼1 km2 rhodolith bed in the vicinity of Nouméa, New Caledonia, where in situ temperature (IST) variations were recorded for 22 months between November 2009 and August 2011. A >45-year comparison of Mg and trace elements with sea-surface temperature (SST) was established from the analysis of 5 different branches belonging to three of the largest (7.4-8.5 cm in diameter) rhodolith specimens observed at the site. Consistent mean Mg/Ca, Sr/Ca and Li/Ca concentrations and seasonal patterns are found for the rhodoliths' last living years (2009-2011) across 43 branches and for the full 1963-2008 period across the 5 branches. Average elemental concentrations (Mg/Ca: 0.31 ± 0.04 mol/mol; Sr/Ca: 3.5 ± 0.4 mmol/mol and Li/Ca: 0.08 ± 0.02 mmol/mol) fall within range of those found in the literature. Individual element variations show good reproducibility between records and Mg/Ca, Sr/Ca and Li/Ca co-vary systematically. Combined records of Mg/Ca, Sr/Ca and Li/Ca are highly correlated with the IST monthly pattern for the 2009-2011 period (0.82 < r < 0.91; p < 0.001) and with local variations of monthly SST for the 1963-2008 period (0.65 < r < 0.85; p < 0.001), with Mg/Ca systematically being the best fit to monthly seawater temperature variations. Inter-annual Mg/Ca anomalies show significant correlation with the Oceanic Nino Index (ONI), indicating that S. durum rhodoliths also have the capacity to record the regional climate pattern in the tropical Pacific. Finally, consistent variations between the combined Mg/Ca record in S. durum rhodoliths and one Sr/Ca record of a Porites sp. coral from the same site, as well as a similar relationship with local SST at both monthly and interannual scales, suggest that S. durum rhodoliths have the potential to compare favourably with corals in terms of SST reconstruction.