This SGER award will support analysis of stable isotopes and Mg/Ca in shells of living ostracodes collected over a range of bottom water temperatures and saturation states, as well as specimens cultured under controlled conditions. The objective is to determine whether the Mg/Ca ratio is a reliable indicator of bottom-water temperature. If a tight correlation between Mg/Ca and temperature can be demonstrated, it can be applied to correct oxygen-isotope-based estimates, which are also affected by the volume of water incorporated in ice. Use of combined Mg/Ca and oxygen isotopes will then permit paleoceanographers to assess independently both global ice volume and local bottom water temperatures under changing climate conditions.
