Ecological information and water mass properties in the Mediterranean recorded by stable isotope ratios in Pinna nobilis shells

Sclerochronologic and stable isotope records in Pinna nobilis shells potentially record ecological and oceanographic information. P. nobilis is a subtidal bivalve adapted to live in a variety of environments in the Mediterranean. We hypothesized that stable isotope ratios (δ18O and δ13C) and growth increment patterns from individuals living in different environments serve as ecological indicators. Using a new methodology for calcite sampling, we (1) identified annual growth features (nacre tongues) and (2) compared monthly resolved variations in δ18O and δ13C values and calcification temperatures recorded in animals located above and below the thermocline (16 and 30 m depth). The specimens from 16 m showed more negative δ18O values than the specimen from 30 m, likely reflecting differences in salinity. The specimens from 30 m recorded δ13C values less positive than the specimens from 16 m, which we interpreted as an ontogenetic effect observed in previous studies. Estimated calcification temperatures were offset relative to measured water temperature by ∼6.1°C (∼1.4‰). This finding is evident in earlier proxy studies of P. nobilis, although it was not discussed in those studies. Using the seasonal pattern of δ18O and δ13C values, we demonstrated that nacre tongues are deposited annually and that their formation is independent of temperature. Food availability rather than temperature may control nacre tongue formation. An alternative explanation for nacre tongue formation is gonad maturation during spring. Our findings support the idea that sclerochronology in P. nobilis can be used to reconstruct environmental, ecological, and climate archives of the Mediterranean