Skeletal assemblage fluctuations within persistent Mediterranean coral-reef framework during Cenozoic warming events

Key Points

• This research investigates how skeletal assemblages in Mediterranean coral reefs respond to historical warming events.
• Analysed three reef systems developed during different Cenozoic warming events.
• Examined fluctuations in foraminifera, coral, and algae populations through geological periods.
• All reef systems supported coral-dominated organic buildups despite climate changes.
• Foraminifera peaked in the Eocene, corals in the Oligocene, and algae in the Miocene.
• Coral reef factories showed resilience, affected mainly by extreme heat or multiple stressors.