DEEP-SEA CORAL: THEIR USE AS CLIMATE CHANGE INDICATORS

The need for accurate climate-change models is becoming a major issue, with the increasing concern of global warming. Recently, deep-sea corals have been calibrated for seawater temperatures using isotopic and elemental ratios. Corals record the surrounding seawater temperatures through element and isotope partitioning. The coral species Flabellum alabastrum, found on the continental slope along the North American margin, shows growth banding that can be analyzed using an electron microprobe for Sr/Ca ratios as proxies for bottom temperatures. This study compares several corals in the same geographic locations with instrumental temperature records over the past 50 years from the same areas. Ocean currents and depth along the slope where corals are found play a role in the temperature variations seen in Flabellum alabastrum. From the temperature and Sr/Ca variations, a calibration curve has been created. This study also looks at whether the carbon in the corals is organic or inorganic and postulates a possible source of food for Flabellum alabastrum.