Potential climate signals from the deep-sea gorgonian coral Primnoa resedaeformis

• Published in: Hydrobiologia 2002-03, Vol.471 (1-3), p.117-124
• Main Authors: HEIKOOP, J. M, HICKMOTT, D. D, RISK, M. J, SHEARER, C. K, ATUDOREI, V
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animal and plant ecology; Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Animals; Autoecology; Biological and medical sciences; Calcite; Carbon sources; Cnidaria. Ctenaria; Deep sea; Fisheries management; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Gorgonacea; Invertebrates; Marine; Mass spectrometry; Ocean temperature; Particulate organic matter; Primnoa resedaeformis; Protozoa. Invertebrata; Seamounts
• ISSN: 0018-8158; 1573-5117
• DOI: 10.1023/A:1016505421115

The deep-sea gorgonian coral Primnoa resedaeformis has an arborescent skeleton composed of both calcite and a horn-like structural protein called gorgonin. We have investigated potential climate records in corals from Alaska, the eastern seaboard of Canada and the United States, and a Southern Ocean (Pacific sector) seamount. Temperatures at these sites range from 4 to 10 °C. δ^sup 18^O values of the calcite show strong evidence for isotopic disequilibrium. Extraction of δ^sup 18^O paleotemperatures is therefore not straightforward. Sr/Ca data, analyzed by Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (SIMS), suggest that temperature might be a control on calcite Sr/Ca in Primnoa resedaeformis, but that growth-related kinetic effects could also be important. Based on previous ^sup 14^C, δ^sup 13^C and δ^sup 15^N measurements, it has been suggested that particulate organic matter (POM) from the surface is an important carbon source to the polyps and the gorgonin fraction of the Primnoa skeleton. δ^sup 15^N and δ^sup 13^C of polyps and gorgonin show similar regional differences to δ^sup 15^N and δ^sup 13^C of surface POM. Polyps and contemporaneous gorgonin correlate strongly for both δ^sup 13^C and δ^sup 15^N. The influence of nutrient isotopic composition and climate and productivity variations on the isotopic composition of surface POM may therefore be recorded in gorgonin layers. These corals have very long lifespans (several centuries). The potential exists, therefore, to obtain extended records of surface productivity, deep ocean temperature and chemistry of value to climatologists and fisheries managers.[PUBLICATION ABSTRACT]