Research interests
Red Sea climate, past and present
I reconstruct seasonal to interdecadal climate variability from fossil Porites corals that grew during the Last Interglacial (MIS 5e, ~125 ka), and compare it with modern Red Sea records. The Red Sea is one of the hottest reef environments on Earth, which makes it a good natural analogue for what reefs may face in a warmer world.
Tropical Pacific climate variability from corals
I used coral Sr/Ca, δ¹⁸O and reconstructed δ¹⁸Osw to track SST and salinity changes in the West Pacific Warm Pool and along the South Pacific Convergence Zone over the last two centuries. My work focused on warming trends, salinity front shifts and the coupling to ENSO, including composite coral indices that extend instrumental records.
Coral stress, carbonate chemistry and proxy methods
I combine trace element and stable isotope proxies with boron systematics and CT-based skeletal analysis to ask whether thermal stress and bleaching can be detected in coral skeletons. Methodologically, I focus on sclerochronology, multiproxy SST reconstructions, and advanced anomaly detection.
Current research projects
2026 – 2029 PALEORED
Paleoclimate and Carbonate Chemistry of the Red Sea proper during the Marine Isotope Stage 5e (MIS 5e) reconstructed from massive fossil Porites sp. corals. Funded by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG; German Research Foundation), project number 569205274.
PALEORED uses exceptionally well-preserved fossil Porites from a newly described reef site near Rabigh, Saudi Arabia, to reconstruct seasonal to interdecadal climate variability and carbonate chemistry in the Red Sea during the Last Interglacial. It is part of the DFG Priority Programme SPP 2299 “Tropical Climate Variability & Coral Reefs” and is carried out at ZMT with partners at CNR Bologna (IT), LSCE Gif-sur-Yvette (FR), MARUM Bremen. More here: https://www.leibniz-zmt.de/en/research/research-projects/paleored.html
Publications
Peer-reviewed:
- Richards, C. L., Ervens, B., Parmesan, C., Amato, P., Andrade, C., Asatryan, G., … Todorović, S., … Zuerch, M. (2026). Multidisciplinary science funding is more than ever a planetary priority: Reflections from the Make Our Planet Great Again (MOPGA) program. PLOS Climate, 5(3), e0000849. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pclm.0000849
- Todorović, S., Linsley, B. K., Kuhnert, H., Dissard, D., Menkes, C., & Wu, H. C. (2025). Expanded composite coral indices of South Pacific Convergence Zone oceanographic variability since 1848 CE. Paleoceanography and Paleoclimatology, 40, e2025PA005108. https://doi.org/10.1029/2025PA005108
- Todorović, S., Wu, H. C., Linsley, B. K., Kuhnert, H., Menkes, C., Isbjakowa, A., & Dissard, D. (2024). Western Pacific Warm Pool warming and salinity front expansion since 1821 reconstructed from paired coral δ¹⁸O, Sr/Ca, and reconstructed δ¹⁸O_sw. Paleoceanography and Paleoclimatology, 39, e2024PA004843. https://doi.org/10.1029/2024PA004843
- Asatryan, G., Harbott, M., Todorović, S., Kaplan, J. O., Lazarus, D., Lee, C. E., Parmesan, C., Renaudie, J., Thomas, H., Wu, H. C., & Richards, C. L. (2022). How do organisms affect and respond to climate change? Frontiers for Young Minds, 10, 703195. https://doi.org/10.3389/frym.2022.703195
- Todorović, S., Juan-Jordá, M. J., Murua, H., & Arrizabalaga, H. (2019). Pelagic ecoregions: Operationalizing an ecosystem approach to fisheries management in the Atlantic Ocean. Marine Policy, 109, 103700. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpol.2019.103700
Reports:
- Juan-Jordá, M. J., Murua, H., Andonegi, E., Báez, J. C., Abascal, F., Coelho, R., Todorović, S., Apostolaki, P., Lynam, C., Perez Rodriguez, A. (2020). Does ICCAT need ecosystem plans? A pilot ecosystem plan for the Atlantic tropical ecoregion. Centro Oceanográfico de Canarias.
- Juan-Jordá, M. J., Murua, H., Apostolaki, P., Lynam, C., Perez Rodriguez, A., Baez Barrionuevo, J. C., Abascal, F., Coelho, R., Todorović, S., Billet, N., Uyarra, M., Andonegi, E., Lopez, J. (2018). Selecting ecosystem indicators for fisheries targeting highly migratory species: An EU project to advance the operationalization of the EAFM in ICCAT and IOTC. Centro Oceanográfico de Santander.