Intrareef variations in Li/Mg and Sr/Ca sea surface temperature proxies in the Caribbean reef‐building coral Siderastrea siderea

A new study reveals that sea surface temperature (SST) reconstructions using coral skeletal proxies can vary significantly within the same reef system, with forereef corals providing more reliable and precise SST records than backreef corals. Researchers analyzed Sr/Ca and Li/Mg ratios in the Caribbean coral Siderastrea siderea from the Belize Barrier Reef, finding that these proxies are highly sensitive to temperature changes in the forereef but less so in the backreef due to additional influencing factors. The study demonstrates that combining both proxies improves SST reconstruction accuracy, though site-specific calibrations remain essential for reliable paleoclimate reconstructions.

Fowell, S. E., Sandford, K., Stewart, J. A., Castillo, K. D., Ries, J. B., & Foster, G. L. (2016). Intrareef variations in Li/Mg and Sr/Ca sea surface temperature proxies in the Caribbean reef‐building coral Siderastrea siderea. Paleoceanography, 31(10), 1315–1329. Portico. https://doi.org/10.1002/2016pa002968