Exploring the oxygen and carbon isotopic composition of the Mediterranean red coral (Corallium rubrum) for seawater temperature reconstruction

The highly significant δ18Ointercept vs. temperature relationship combined with the “lines technique” method can be reliably applied to the calcitic skeleton to obtain calcification temperature estimates in the past, although this approach requires the knowledge of the past δ18O and δ13C composition of seawater and it is labor and time intensive.