Our new study delivers the most extensive calibration to date of Patella caerulea (the Mediterranean limpet) as a recorder of sea surface temperatures (SSTs) across the Central and Eastern Mediterranean. The study combined laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) for measuring Mg/Ca ratios with isotope ratio mass spectrometry (IRMS) to analyse oxygen isotope values (δ18O). By analysing 131 modern shells from 22 sites, we explored the relationship between magnesium-to-calcium (Mg/Ca) ratios and oxygen isotope values as palaeotemperature proxies.
This study presents a comprehensive calibration of the Patella caerulea as a palaeotemperature archive across the Central and Eastern Mediterranean, focusing on Mg/Ca ratios and δ^18^O values.
This review establishes oyster shells as high-resolution, multiproxy archives for reconstructing environmental variability and life history traits. It highlights recent methodological innovations, challenges in growth pattern interpretation, and the significance of integrating geochemical proxies across disciplines including palaeoclimatology, archaeology, and aquaculture science.