Porites spp. coral reconstructions of Sr/Ca and δ18O, and δ18Osw of coral core MAU1 at Mauritius from 1882-1989

Here we present a paired Sr/Ca and δ18O, bimonthly resolved record of a shallow water coral from the southwest Indian Ocean (Mauritius Island, 20.367342°S, 57.351417°E), extending from 1882 to 1989, a location at the edge of IOBM initial warming. This reconstruction along with a network of previously published coral reconstructions has been used to explore changes in the initial warming of the IOBM, which occurs in the SWIO region. Sr/Ca tracks sea surface temperature well, revealing strong trends in SST. The paired analysis of Sr/Ca and δ18O, from the newly developed Mauritius coral, also allows for the calculation of δ18Osw (hydrology) at bimonthly resolution. This is the first high-resolution hydroclimate record which extends past the start of the 20th century. The coral δ18Osw record has a strong relationship to Mauritius rainy season (austral summer) precipitation during the short observation period.