Reading daily ocean temperatures from red algae
Researchers have developed a new method to reconstruct daily seawater temperatures using rhodoliths, which are calcareous structures formed by red algae. By combining 3D X-ray imaging with geochemical analysis, the team can track climate history more effectively than traditional methods like coral analysis.
Why it matters
This breakthrough provides a more accessible and high-resolution archive for studying ocean warming and climate change impacts globally.
edited by Swati Mestri , reviewed by Robert Egan
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Add as preferred source Lena Li, first author of the study, holds a rhodolith sample collected in the Red Sea. These free-living algae nodules serve as natural archives, enabling the reconstruction of daily seawater temperatures. Credit: Lucio Bravo Understanding how marine ecosystems respond to a warming ocean requires detailed records of past temperatures. An international research team led by Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (JGU) and the Max Planck Institute for Chemistry (MPIC) in Mainz has found a new way to reconstruct daily seawater temperatures over a four-month period.
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