engleski

Sclerochronology as a tool for reconstructing changes in marine environments – opportunities and challenges in the Adriatic and Mediterranean Seas

Sclerochronology is developing research field that analyses structural elements and geochemical composition of hard structures of marine organisms, including bivalve shells, fish otoliths, corals and algae. Variations in widths of growth increments, as well as changes in composition of stable isotopes and elements are evaluated, as part of sclerochronological studies, for their potential as proxies for marine environmental variability. So far, majority of sclerochronological research was conducted in the Atlantic and Pacific, and there is lack of studies in semi-enclosed basins such as Adriatic and Mediterranean Seas. Species growth rate, longevity and clarity of growth lines are some of the criteria used for choosing a target species, and in case of bivalves and Mediterranean, target species in previous studies included smooth clam (Callista chione), date shell (Lithophaga lithophaga), Mediterranean scallop (Pecten jacobaeus), noble fan shell (Pinna nobilis), thorny oyster (Spondylus gaederopus), and two species of dog cockles Glycymeris bimaculata and Glycymeris pilosa. Out of these, the last two species have the longest life span, extending over half the century, and thereby present a potential decadal archive of environmental data. We will present current research efforts, conducted in a framework of project financed by the Croatian Science Foundation, on sclerochronology in the Adriatic. This includes creation of chronologies for long lived bivalve Glycymeris pilosa from several locations along the eastern Adriatic. Data on other potential target species and sampling and analysing methodologies will be presented, including their advantages and disadvantages. Opportunities and challenges for establishing a sclerochronology research network in the Mediterranean will be presented.

bivalve, sclerochronology, Adriatic, environmental changes

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