Deep-water corals indicate the Red Sea survived the last glacial lowstand
Abstract
The Red Sea, a nascent ocean basin connected to the Indian Ocean via a shallow strait, is assumed to have experienced significant environmental changes during the last glacial period due to a sea-level drop likely exceeding 110 m. This study investigates the hypothesis that hydrodynamic restriction led to severe ecological impacts, including basin-wide extinction due to elevated salinity followed by a short time of oxygen depletion. Uranium–Thorium dating of deep-water corals (DWCs) from 26 northern Red Sea sites reveals coral growth during and after the Last Glacial sea-level lowstand, indicating tolerable seawater chemistry. Additional geochemical data show no significant difference in Red Sea chemistry or temperature between the Latest Pleistocene and Holocene. A meta-analysis of 27 deep-sea cores reveals that while planktonic foraminifera experienced local extinction, other microfossil groups seemingly persisted. These findings suggest that the Red Sea survived the last sea-level lowstand, challenging the paradigm of a complete ecological collapse and providing insights into the resilience of marine ecosystems.
Article Details
Journal Info
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
National Academy of Sciences
Authors (11)
Morgan I. Chakraborty
Department of Marine Geosciences, Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric, and Earth Science, University of Miami
Arash Sharifi
Department of Marine Geosciences, Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric, and Earth Science, University of Miami
Francesca Benzoni
Red Sea Research Center, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology
François L. H. Tissot
The Isotoparium, Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences, California Institute of Technology
Ali Pourmand
Department of Marine Geosciences, Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric, and Earth Science, University of Miami
Marco Taviani
Istituto di Scienze Marine (CNR-ISMAR)
Bolton Howes
Department of Marine Geosciences, Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric, and Earth Science, University of Miami
Peter K. Swart
Department of Marine Geosciences, Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric, and Earth Science, University of Miami
Choajin Lu
Department of Marine Geosciences, Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric, and Earth Science, University of Miami
Mattie Rodrigue
OceanX
Sam J. Purkis
Department of Marine Geosciences, Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric, and Earth Science, University of Miami