A Preliminary Investigation into the Incorporation and Distribution of Minor Elements in the Skeletal Material of Scleractinian Corals

Analyses were performed for strontium, iron, manganese, magnesium, sodium, and potassium in the skeletal material of three species of scleractinian corals. The results indicate that skeletal mineralogy is the predominant factor controlling the incorporation of minor elements into the aragonitic skeletal material. The distribution of minor elements both between and within the skeletal material of individual organisms is heterogeneous. Generic and specific association appear to control the distribution of certain minor elements between individual organisms. The distribution of minor elements within the skeletal material of a single organism does not appear to be related to calcification rate for the organisms investigated.