Experimental determination of a Viviparus contectus thermometry equation.

Experimental measurements of the (18)O/(16)O isotope fractionation between the biogenic aragonite of Viviparus contectus (Gastropoda) and its host freshwater were undertaken to generate a species-specific thermometry equation. The temperature dependence of the fractionation factor and the relationship between Deltadelta(18)O (delta(18)O(carb.) - delta(18)O(water)) and temperature were calculated from specimens maintained under laboratory and field (collection and cage) conditions. The field specimens were grown (Somerset, UK) between August 2007 and August 2008, with water samples and temperature measurements taken monthly. Specimens grown in the laboratory experiment were maintained under constant temperatures (15 degrees C, 20 degrees C and 25 degrees C) with water samples collected weekly. Application of a linear regression to the datasets indicated that the gradients of all three experiments were within experimental error of each other (+/-2 times the standard error); therefore, a combined (laboratory and field data) correlation could be applied. The relationship between Deltadelta(18)O (delta(18)O(carb.) - delta(18)O(water)) and temperature (T) for this combined dataset is given by: T = - 7.43( + 0.87, - 1.13)*Deltadelta18O + 22.89(+/- 2.09) (T is in degrees C, delta(18)O(carb.) is with respect to Vienna Pee Dee Belemnite (VPDB) and delta(18)O(water) is with respect to Vienna Standard Mean Ocean Water (VSMOW). Quoted errors are 2 times standard error).Comparisons made with existing aragonitic thermometry equations reveal that the linear regression for the combined Viviparus contectus equation is within 2 times the standard error of previously reported aragonitic thermometry equations. This suggests there are no species-specific vital effects for Viviparus contectus. Seasonal delta(18)O(carb.) profiles from specimens retrieved from the field cage experiment indicate that during shell secretion the delta(18)O(carb.) of the shell carbonate is not influenced by size, sex or whether females contained eggs or juveniles.