Stable isotope data from deep-water antipatharians: 400-Year records from the southeastern coast of the United States of America

In this study, time-series stable isotope results (δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N) from three deep-water Leiopathes glaberrima (Esper, 1788) specimens collected off the southeastern coast of the United States of America and one specimen from the Gulf of Mexico are presented. The specimens were collected live in 2004 and are estimated to be 200-500 yrs old based on ²¹⁰Pb measurements and band counts. The δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N long-term trends are reproducible within and among specimens from a similar location, suggesting a common environmental influence. Three western Atlantic specimens have average δ¹³C values of -15.7‰, -16.3‰, and -16.1‰, with the most depleted values from the oldest specimen. The oldest specimen records an enrichment in ¹³C of 0.5‰ corresponding to the Little Ice Age. All three specimens show a depletion of ¹³C over the past 150 yrs corresponding to the δ¹³C Suess Effect. The fourth specimen from the Gulf of Mexico has an average δ¹³C value of -16.4‰ and shows no trend in ¹³C value with time. All four specimens contain an enrichment in ¹⁵N over the most recent 75 yrs, with the largest enrichment (3‰) in the Gulf of Mexico specimen. This enrichment is likely a result of increased terrestrial effluent (sewage and manure) reaching the offshore specimens. © 2007 Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science of the University of Miami.