A new marker for sea surface temperature trend during the last centuries in temperate areas: Vermetid reef

Abstract

The presence of Vermetid reefs in temperate waters, their diffusion in the Mediterranean Sea, and the possibility of performing 14C ages allowed the use of Vermetids as an indicator of sea level changes. We present new data on sea climate trend fluctuations that could be interpreted as Sea Surface Temperature (SST) variations, recorded on Vermetid (Dendropoma petraeum) reefs, by means of isotopic analysis. The isotopic records show positive values of the δ18O relative to present-day values in the period between 1600 and 1850 AD; this deviation occurs in association with the climatic cooling event known as Little Ice Age (LIA). Subsequently, we can observe the warming trend that characterized the last century. These preliminary results indicate that Vermetids could be considered a new SST proxy-data for the Mediterranean Sea and, more generally, for temperate areas.