Growth rate rather than temperature affects the B∕Ca ratio in the calcareous red alga <i>Lithothamnion corallioides</i>

Piazza, Giulia; Bracchi, Valentina A.; Langone, Antonio; Meroni, Agostino N.; Basso, Daniela

doi:https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-1047-2022

Articles | Volume 19, issue 4

https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-1047-2022

© Author(s) 2022. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-1047-2022

© Author(s) 2022. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Articles | Volume 19, issue 4

Research article

|

17 Feb 2022

Research article |

| 17 Feb 2022

Growth rate rather than temperature affects the B∕Ca ratio in the calcareous red alga Lithothamnion corallioides

Giulia Piazza, Valentina A. Bracchi, Antonio Langone, Agostino N. Meroni, and Daniela Basso

Supplement

https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-1047-2022-supplement

Data sets

Mg, Li, Sr and B/Ca in the calcareous red alga Lithothamnion corallioides Piazza, Giulia; Bracchi, Valentina A.; Basso, Daniela https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.932201

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The coralline alga Lithothamnion corallioides is widely distributed in the Mediterranean Sea and NE Atlantic Ocean, where it constitutes rhodolith beds, which are diversity-rich ecosystems on the seabed. The boron incorporated in the calcified thallus of coralline algae (B/Ca) can be used to trace past changes in seawater carbonate and pH. This paper suggests a non-negligible effect of algal growth rate on B/Ca, recommending caution in adopting this proxy for paleoenvironmental reconstructions.