Formula omitted] ratios and related temperatures of Recent pteropod shells ( Cavolinia longirostrisLesueur) from the Persian Gulf

Abstract

The temperatures obtained by mass spectrometric measurements of the 18 O 16 O ratio of Recent pteropod shells from the Persian Gulf correlate relatively with the actual temperature and salinity conditions found in the Gulf. This argues for an autochthonous plankton shell production in the whole investigation area. Still problematic are the questions of when and where in the water column the carbonate is incorporated into the skeleton, and of how to exclude inhomogeneities in plankton sediment samples from areas with very low sedimentation rates and active bioturbation.