Abstract
The biological response of increased manganese in seawater was tested experimentally with the oyster species Crassostrea gigas by adding, once per day, a fixed quantity of MnCl2 to the container where the oysters were living. Uptake of Mn2+ in the shell was traced with cathodoluminescence and quantified with a high spatial resolution proton microprobe. The daily addition of MnCl2 resulted in the visualization of distinct growth increments seen simultaneously in both the calcitic shell and the aragonitic ligament. A relation was observed between the addition of Mn2+ to the seawater and incorporation of Mn in the mineral part of the shell. Thus, addition of MnCl2 to seawater is an efficient tool to mark in vivo growth increments in bio-mineralised carbonates.
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