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Boron isotopic and elemental systematics are used to define the vital effects for the temperate shallow water Mediterranean coral Cladocora caespitosa. The corals are from a range of seawater pH conditions (pH_T ~7.6 to ~8.1) and environmental settings: (1) naturally living colonies harvested from normal pH waters offshore Levanto, (2) colonies transplanted nearby a subsea volcanic vent system, and (3) corals cultured in aquaria exposed to high (700μatm) and near present day (400μatm) pCO₂ levels. B/Ca compositions measured using laser ablation inductively coupled mass spectrometry (LA-ICPMS) show that boron uptake by C. caespitosa cultured at different pCO₂ levels is independent of ambient seawater pH being mainly controlled by temperature-dependent calcification. In contrast, the boron isotope compositions (δ¹¹B_carb) of the full suite of corals determined by positive thermal ionisation mass …