A 45-year sub-annual reconstruction of seawater temperature in the Bay of Brest, France, using the shell oxygen isotope composition of the bivalve Glycymeris glycymeris

A reconstruction of sea surface temperature (SST) spanning 45 years (1966–2011) was developed from δ18O obtained from the aragonitic shells of Glycymeris glycymeris, collected from the Bay of Brest, France. Bivalve sampling was undertaken monthly between 2014 and 2015 using a dredge. In total, 401 live specimens and 243 articulated paired valves from dead specimens were collected, of which 24 individuals were used to reconstruct SST. Temperatures determined using the palaeotemperature equation of Royer et al. compared well with observed SST during the growing season between 1998 and 2010 (Pearson’s correlation: p = 0.002, r = 0.760). Furthermore, a significant negative correlation was foun…