Much of what we know about past climate variability comes from information stored in the carbonate skeletons of marine organisms preserved in deep-sea sediments or fossil reefs.

Variations in ocean chemistry and temperature are recorded as changes in the isotopic and elemental composition of skeletons, shells or tests as they grow, and we have developed sophisticated techniques to measure small changes in carbonate composition with extremely high precision (link to ion probe, ICPMS, SIRA). Nevertheless, formation of the shell or skeleton is a biological process and information about the oceanic environment is processed through a ?biological filter?. Therefore our estimates of past ocean variability are only as good as our understanding of the various factors that influence shell chemistry.

To separate the biological and environmental influences on shell chemistry, we are using a combination of inorganic carbonate precipitation experiments (link) and culturing of live corals and foraminifera under controlled conditions (link). This experimental approach allows us to identify, isolate and manipulate the individual environmental factors that influence shell growth and composition. The goal of this work is to provide a framework within which to understand and accurately interpret the composition of coral skeletons and foraminfera shells in terms of the environmental conditions under in which they grew.

Climate and Paleoceanography Research at WHOI

Overview

Abrupt Climate Change

Deep Ocean Circulation

Glaciology

Holocene Climate Change

Sea Level

Tropical Climate Change

Marine Calcification

Geobiology

Sediment Geochemistry