Skeletal density bands in scleractinian corals have been extensively used in the last 2 decades for environmental and palaeoenvironmental studies. Despite the great importance of coral banding in such studies, the environmental cues that control the timing of band deposition are poorly understood. Here we present a study based on stable isotopic composition and X-ray chronology of Porites spp. corals from shallow (3 m), intermediate (30 m) and deep (51 m) water in the Gulf of Eilat, Red Sea. The results indicate a depth-related timing of density band formation, with opposite patterns in shallow and deep water corals. These observations may play an important role in understanding environmental controls of density banding in corals.