Not logged in
PANGAEA.
Data Publisher for Earth & Environmental Science

Titschack, Jürgen; Zuschin, Martin; Spötl, Christoph; Baal, C (2016): Stable isotope ratios of a oyster Hyotissa hyotis from the northern Red Sea. PANGAEA, https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.864816, Supplement to: Titschack, J et al. (2010): The giant oyster Hyotissa hyotis from the northern Red Sea as a decadal-scale archive for seasonal environmental fluctuations in coral reef habitats. Coral Reefs, 29(4), 1061-1075, https://doi.org/10.1007/s00338-010-0665-7

Always quote citation above when using data! You can download the citation in several formats below.

RIS CitationBibTeX CitationShow MapGoogle Earth

Abstract:
This study explores the giant oyster Hyotissa hyotis as a novel environmental archive in tropical reef environments of the Indo-Pacific. The species is a typical accessory component in coral reefs, can reach sizes of tens of centimetres, and dates back to the Late Pleistocene. Here, a 70.2-mm-long oxygen and carbon isotope transect through the shell of a specimen collected at Safaga Bay, northern Red Sea, in May 1996, is presented. The transect runs perpendicularly to the foliate and vesicular layers of the inner ostracum near the ligament area of the oyster. The measured d18O and d13C records show sinusoidal fluctuations, which are independent of shell microstructure. The d13C fluctuations exhibit the same wavelength as the d18O fluctuations but are phase shifted. The d18O record reflects the sea surface temperature variations from 1957 until 1996, possibly additionally influenced by the local evaporation. Due to locally enhanced evaporation in the semi-enclosed Safaga Bay, the d18Oseawater value is estimated at 2.17 per mil, i.e., 0.3-0.8 per mil higher than published open surface water d18O values (1.36-1.85 per mil) from the region. The mean water temperature deviates by only 0.4°C from the expected value, and the minimum and maximum values are 0.5°C lower and 2.9°C higher, respectively. When comparing the mean monthly values, however, the sea surface temperature discrepancy between reconstructed and global grid datasets is always <1.0°C. The d13C signal is weakly negatively correlated with regional chlorophyll a concentration and with the sunshine duration, which may reflect changes in the bivalve's respiration. The study emphasises the palaeogeographic context in isotope studies based on fossils, because coastal embayments might not reflect open-water oceanographic conditions.
Coverage:
Latitude: 26.770000 * Longitude: 33.950000
Minimum DISTANCE: 0.0135 cm * Maximum DISTANCE: 7.0065 cm
Event(s):
Hyotissa_hyotis * Latitude: 26.770000 * Longitude: 33.950000 * Elevation: -6.0 m * Location: Bay of Safaga * Comment: One living specimen of H. hyotis was collected in May 1996 from a shallow-water site.
Size:
1032 data points

Download Data

Download dataset as tab-delimited text — use the following character encoding:

View dataset as HTML