Collaborative Research: Calibration of Sr:Ca and d18O Proxies of the Southern Quahog, Mercenaria Campechiensis, to Reconstruct Late Holocene Climate, SW Florida

这一奖项将校准南部Quahog蛤壳现代贝壳中的锶/钙比和增量氧-18同位素，分别作为温度和盐度的替代指标，以生成来自考古Quahog贝壳的低纬度、工业化前、晚全新世气候数据。为了确定水的物理和化学性质的季节和空间变异性，将在丰水期和枯水期对佛罗里达州西南部夏洛特港河口的温度、盐度、增量氧-18(水)、三角洲碳-13(溶解无机碳)和锶/钙(水)进行测量/采样。这些数据将被用来构建预测模型壳，以便与观测数据进行比较。通过将观测到的贝壳数据与预测模型贝壳进行比较，将对南部的角猪进行校准。PIS还将通过将预测模型与现代贝壳的地球化学和已知的考古数据进行比较，评估考古考古猪中的锶/钙和增量氧-18(贝壳)是否可以分别跟踪温度和盐度。这项研究的成功完成将产生多学科数据，应用于全球气候变化领域的许多问题。这项工作的外展部分将由佛罗里达自然历史博物馆的兰德尔研究中心(RRC)提供便利。公共教育将通过志愿服务、时事通讯、网站、旅游、讲解员培训、展览、讲座和研讨会，以K-12学生(包括市中心的儿童)和教师、退休社区和其他人为目标。在所有这些场馆中，RRC将促进公共考古和生态系统管理作为其使命的一部分。

This award will calibrate Strontium/Calcium ratios and delta oxygen-18 isotopes from modern shells of the southern quahog clam, Mercenaria campechiensis, as proxies for temperature and salinity, respectively, to generate low-latitude, preindustrial, Late Holocene climate data derived from archaeological quahog shells. To determine seasonal and spatial variability in physical and chemical water properties, temperature, salinity, delta Oxygen-18 (water), delta Carbon-13 (dissolved inorganic carbon), and Strontium/Calcium (water) in the Charlotte Harbor estuary, southwest Florida, will be measured/sampled during the wet and dry seasons. These data will be used to construct predictive-model shells for comparison with observed data. The southern quahog will be calibrated by comparing observed shell data with predictive-model shells. The PIs will also evaluate whether Strontium/Calcium and delta oxygen-18 (shell) in archaeological quahogs can track temperature and salinity, respectively, by comparing the predictive model to the geochemistry of modern shells and to known archaeological data. The successful completion of this research will yield multidisciplinary data with applications to a number of problems in the area of global climate change.The outreach component of this work will be facilitated by the Florida Museum of Natural History's Randell Research Center (RRC). Public education will target K-12 students (including inner-city children) and teachers, the retired community, and others, via volunteerism, newsletters, websites, tours, docent training, exhibits, lectures, and workshops. In all these venues, the RRC promotes public archaeological and ecosystem stewardship as part of its mission.