The geochemistry of Arctica islandica shells provides an opportunity to reconstruct intra-annual resolution climate records in temperate latitudes, and the annual banding allows close temporal constraint. Stable isotope analyses of carbon and oxygen from an Arctica islandica live-collected at 6 m depth from Irvine Bay, UK are presented. Seawater temperature ranges reconstructed from shell δ18O agree, within error, with instrumental sea surface temperature measurements. The saw-tooth profile of the seasonal δ 18O signal (compared with the sinusoidal seawater temperature) indicates that shell accretion rate is not constant throughout the year. Modelling the expected δ18O profile from water temperature, salinity and shell growth rate suggest that A. islandica at this site has significant variation in the shell extension rate during the year. Material deposited during shell damage shows a positive shift in δ18O. A strong ontogenetic effect is seen in δ13C and damage to the shell is associated with a significant (>0.5‰) and sustained shift of δ 13C.
Bijma, J., Spero, H.J. and Lea, D.W.1999: Reassessing foraminiferal stable isotope geochemistry: impact of the oceanic carbonate system (experimental results). In Fischer, G. and Wefer, G., editors, Use of proxies in paleoceanography: examples from the SouthAtlantic. Springer-Verlag , 489-512.
2.
Carré, M., Bentaleb, I., Blamart, D., Ogle, N., Cardenas, F., Zevallos, S., Kalin, R.M., Ortlieb, L. and Fontugne, M.2005a: Stable isotopes and sclerochronology of the bivalve Mesodesma donacium: potential application to Peruvian paleoceanographic reconstructions . Palaeogeography Palaeoclimatology Palaeoecology228, 4-25.
3.
Carré, M., Bentaleb, I., Fontugne, M. and Lavalleé, D.2005b: Strong El Niño events during the early Holocene: stable isotope evidence from Peruvian sea-shells. The Holocene15, 42-47.
4.
Christensen, R.J. and Kanneworff, E.1985: Sedimenting phytoplankton as major food source for suspension and deposit feeders in the Oresund. Ophelia24, 223-44.
5.
Dettman, D.L., Reische, A.K. and Lohmann, K.C.1999: Controls on the stable isotope composition of seasonal growth bands in aragonitic fresh-water bivalves (unionidae). Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta63, 1049-57.
6.
Epplé, V.M., Brey, T., Witbaard, R., Kuhnert, H. and Patzold, J.2006: Sclerochronological records of Arctica islandica from the inner German Bight. The Holocene16, 763-69.
7.
Epstein, S. and Mayeda, T.K.1953: Variations of the 18O/16O ratio in natural waters. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta 4, 213-24. Foster, L.C. 2007: The potential of high resolution palaeoclimate reconstruction from Arctica islandica. PhD Thesis, University of St Andrews.
8.
Gillikin, D.P., De Ridder, F., Ulens, H., Elskens, M., Keppens, E., Baeyens, W. and Dehairs, F.2005: Assessing the reproducibility and reliability of estuarine bivalve shells (Saxidomus giganteus) for sea surface temperature reconstruction: implications for paleoclimate studies. Palaeogeography Palaeoclimatology Palaeoecology228, 70-85.
9.
Gillikin, D.P., Lorrain, A., Meng, L. and Dehairs, F.2007: A large metabolic carbon contribution to the δ13C record in marine aragonitic bivalve shells. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta71, 2936-46.
10.
Goodwin, D.H., Schöne, B.R. and Dettman, D.L.2003: Resolution and fidelity of oxygen isotopes as paleotemperature proxies in bivalve mollusk shells: models and observations. Palaois18, 110-25.
11.
Grossman, E.L. and Ku, T.-L.1986: Oxygen and carbon isotope fractionation in biogenic aragonite: temperature effects. Chemical Geology: Isotope Geoscience Section59, 59-74.
12.
Klein, R.T., Lohmann, K.C. and Thayer, C.W.1996: Sr/Ca and 13C/12C ratios in skeletal calcite of Mytilus trossulus: covariation with metabolic rate, salinity, and carbon isotopic composition of seawater. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta60, 4207-21.
13.
Lorrain, A., Paulet, Y.M., Chauvaud, L., Dunbar, R.B., Mucciarone, D. and Fontugne, M.2004: δ13C variation in scallop shells: increasing metabolic carbon contribution with body size. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta68, 3509-19.
14.
McConnaughey, T.A.1989: 13C and 18O isotopic disequilibrium in biological carbonates: 2. In vitro simulation of kinetic isotope effects. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta53, 163-71.
15.
McConnaughey, T.A., Burdett, J., Whelan, J.F. and Paull, C.K.1997: Carbon isotopes in biological carbonates: respiration and photosynthesis. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta61, 611-22.
16.
Merrill, A.S. and Ropes, J.W.1969: The general distribution of the surf clam and ocean quahog . Proceedings of the National Shellfish Association59, 40-45.
17.
Nicol, D.1951: Recent species of the Veneroid pelecypod Arctica. Journal of the Washington Academy of Science41, 102-106.
18.
Owen, R., Kennedy, H. and Richardson, C.2002: Experimental investigation into partitioning of stable isotopes between scallop (Pecten maximus) shell calcite and sea water. Palaeogeography Palaeoclimatology Palaeoecology185, 163-74.
19.
Schöne, B.R., Fiebig, J., Pfeiffer, M., Gless, R., Hickson, J., Johnson, A.L.A., Dreyer, W. and Oschmann, W.2005a: Climate records from a bivalved Methuselah (Arctica islandica, Mollusca; Iceland). Palaeogeography Palaeoclimatology Palaeoecology228, 130-48.
20.
Schöne, B.R., Pfeiffer, M., Pohlmann, T. and Siegismund, F.2005b: A seasonally resolved bottom-water temperature record for the period AD 1866-2002 based on shells of Arctica islandica (Mollusca, North Sea). International Journal of Climatology25, 947-62.
21.
Schöne, B.R., Houk, S.D., Castro, A.D.F., Fiebig, J., Oschmann, W., Kroncke, I., Dreyer, W. and Gosselck, F.2005c: Daily growth rates in shells of Arctica islandica: assessing sub-seasonal environmental controls on a long-lived bivalve mollusk. Palaios20, 78-92.
22.
Scourse, J., Richardson, C., Forsythe, G., Harris, I., Heinemeier, J., Fraser, N., Briffa, K. and Jones, P.2006: First cross-matched floating chronology from the marine fossil record: data from growth lines of the long-lived bivalve mollusc Arctica islandica. The Holocene16, 967-74.
23.
Smetacek, V.1984: The supply of food to the benthos. In Fasham, M.J.R., editor, Flows of energy and material in marine ecosystems. Theory and practice. NATO Conference Series, vol. IV. Plenum Press, 517-47.
24.
Tanaka, N., Monaghan, M.C. and Rye, D.1986: Contribution of metabolic carbon to mollusc and barnacle shell carbonate. Nature320, 520-23.
25.
Weidman, C.R., Jones, G.A. and Lohmann, K.C.1994: The long-lived mollusc Arctica islandica: a new paleoceanographic tool for the reconstruction of bottom temperatures for the continental shelves of the northern North Atlantic Ocean. Journal of Geophysical Research99, 18305-14.
26.
Witbaard, R.1997: Tree of the sea: the use of the internal growth line in the shell of Arctica islandica (Bivalvia, Mollusca) for the retrospective assessment of marine environmental change. PhD Thesis, University of Groningen.
27.
Witbaard, R. and Bergman, M.J.N.2003: The distribution and population structure of the bivalve Arctica islandica L. in the North Sea: what possible factors are involved?Journal of Sea Research50, 11-25.
28.
Witbaard, R., Jansma, E. and Sass Klaassen, U.2003: Copepods link quahog growth to climate. Journal of Sea Research50, 77-83.
29.
Witbaard, R., Jenness, M.I., Van De Borg, K. and Ganssen, G.1994: Verification of annual growth increments in Arctica islandica L. from the North Sea by means of oxygen and carbon isotopes. Netherlands Journal of Sea Research33, 91-101.
