Bridging Archaeology and Marine Ecology: Coral Archives of Hellenistic Coastal Change

Stony corals are long-lived, calcifying cnidarians that provide critical records of past coastal environmental conditions. This study analyzes sub-fossil Cladocora sp. colonies from ancient Akko, Israel, dated to the Hellenistic period (~335–94 BCE), alongside modern Cladocora caespitosa from Haifa Bay. The sub-fossil corals, preserved within archaeological strata, offer insights into past seawater conditions, anthropogenic influences, and harbor dynamics. We employ micromorphology, stable isotope analysis, and DNA sequencing to assess species identity, colony growth form, and environmental conditions experienced by the corals. Comparisons suggest that Hellenistic Akko corals grew in high-light, cooler-water, high-energy environments, potentially with exposure to terrestrial waste. The exceptional preservation of these colonies indicates rapid burial, possibly linked to ancient harbor activities or extreme sedimentation. Our results demonstrate the utility of scleractinian corals as valuable paleoenvironmental archives, capable of integrating both biological and geochemical proxies to reconstruct past marine conditions. By linking archaeological and ecological records, this approach offers a more comprehensive understanding of long-term human-environment interactions in coastal areas. This multidisciplinary approach enhances our understanding of historical coastal dynamics, ancient harbor use, climate variability, and anthropogenic impacts.