Foraminifera and Chlorophyll Maximum: Vertical Distribution, Seasonal Succession, and Paleoceanographic Significance

Many planktonic foraminiferal species deposit their shells at the chlorophyll maximum zone, and it is the temperature range here that is relevant to oceanographic models which use ratios of oxygen-18 to oxygen-16 in fossil foraminifera and foraminiferal fossil assemblages to ascertain past climates. During periods of stratification of the upper water column, the temperature at the chlorophyll maximum may differ from the sea surface temperature by 10 degrees C in the western North Atlantic.