Oyster shells as archives of present and past environmental variability and life history traits: A multi‐disciplinary review of sclerochronology methods and applications

Abstract Oysters inhabit a variety of coastal and deep‐sea settings over a wide latitudinal range and have a role as ecosystem engineers. They also represent an important food source for humans since hunter‐gatherer times, which motivates interest in using oyster shells as environmental and life his...

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Main Authors: Vincent Mouchi, C. Fred T. Andrus, Antonio G. Checa, Mary Elliot, Erika Griesshaber, Niklas Hausmann, Damien Huyghe, Franck Lartaud, Melita Peharda, Niels J. deWinter
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2025-04-01
Series:Limnology and Oceanography Letters
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1002/lol2.10461
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author Vincent Mouchi
C. Fred T. Andrus
Antonio G. Checa
Mary Elliot
Erika Griesshaber
Niklas Hausmann
Damien Huyghe
Franck Lartaud
Melita Peharda
Niels J. deWinter
author_facet Vincent Mouchi
C. Fred T. Andrus
Antonio G. Checa
Mary Elliot
Erika Griesshaber
Niklas Hausmann
Damien Huyghe
Franck Lartaud
Melita Peharda
Niels J. deWinter
author_sort Vincent Mouchi
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Oysters inhabit a variety of coastal and deep‐sea settings over a wide latitudinal range and have a role as ecosystem engineers. They also represent an important food source for humans since hunter‐gatherer times, which motivates interest in using oyster shells as environmental and life history archives. Still, oysters have often been disregarded in sclerochronology studies, although several methods based on both microtextural and geochemical approaches have successfully been investigated. We review how these methods have been used to improve interpretations of shell records, and we identify knowledge gaps in a variety of disciplines. Those include ecology to study larval dispersal and growth rates; archaeology to determine shell midden constructions and site occupations; and palaeoenvironmental and palaeoclimate reconstructions from tidal to annual timescales. We also suggest standardizing sclerochronology procedures to improve palaeoenvironmental reconstructions and biophysical models on oyster larval dispersal.
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institution Kabale University
issn 2378-2242
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publishDate 2025-04-01
publisher Wiley
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series Limnology and Oceanography Letters
spelling doaj-art-03fcaa87f61b4b50b140b5a5cd6dcb752025-08-20T03:41:43ZengWileyLimnology and Oceanography Letters2378-22422025-04-0110217919910.1002/lol2.10461Oyster shells as archives of present and past environmental variability and life history traits: A multi‐disciplinary review of sclerochronology methods and applicationsVincent Mouchi0C. Fred T. Andrus1Antonio G. Checa2Mary Elliot3Erika Griesshaber4Niklas Hausmann5Damien Huyghe6Franck Lartaud7Melita Peharda8Niels J. deWinter9Sorbonne Universite, CNRS, Adaptation et Diversité en Milieu Marin, AD2M, Station Biologique de Roscoff Roscoff FranceDepartment of Geological Sciences University of Alabama Tuscaloosa Alabama USADepartamento de Estratigrafía y Paleontología Universidad de Granada, 18071 Granada, and Instituto Andaluz de Ciencias de la Tierra, CSIC‐Universidad de Granada Armilla SpainLaboratoire de Planétologie/Géodynamique (LPG), UMR‐CNRS 6112 Université de Nantes Nantes FranceDepartment of Geo‐ and Environmental Sciences Ludwig‐Maximilians‐Universität München Munich GermanyLeibniz Zentrum für Archäologie (LEIZA), Ludwig‐Lindenschmit Forum 1 Mainz GermanyPSL University/MINES Paris/Centre de Géosciences Fontainebleau FranceSorbonne Université, CNRS, Laboratoire d'Écogéochimie des Environnements Benthiques (LECOB), Observatoire Océanologique de Banyuls Banyuls‐sur‐mer FranceInstitute of Oceanography and Fisheries Split CroatiaDepartment of Earth Sciences Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam Amsterdam The NetherlandsAbstract Oysters inhabit a variety of coastal and deep‐sea settings over a wide latitudinal range and have a role as ecosystem engineers. They also represent an important food source for humans since hunter‐gatherer times, which motivates interest in using oyster shells as environmental and life history archives. Still, oysters have often been disregarded in sclerochronology studies, although several methods based on both microtextural and geochemical approaches have successfully been investigated. We review how these methods have been used to improve interpretations of shell records, and we identify knowledge gaps in a variety of disciplines. Those include ecology to study larval dispersal and growth rates; archaeology to determine shell midden constructions and site occupations; and palaeoenvironmental and palaeoclimate reconstructions from tidal to annual timescales. We also suggest standardizing sclerochronology procedures to improve palaeoenvironmental reconstructions and biophysical models on oyster larval dispersal.https://doi.org/10.1002/lol2.10461
spellingShingle Vincent Mouchi
C. Fred T. Andrus
Antonio G. Checa
Mary Elliot
Erika Griesshaber
Niklas Hausmann
Damien Huyghe
Franck Lartaud
Melita Peharda
Niels J. deWinter
Oyster shells as archives of present and past environmental variability and life history traits: A multi‐disciplinary review of sclerochronology methods and applications
Limnology and Oceanography Letters
title Oyster shells as archives of present and past environmental variability and life history traits: A multi‐disciplinary review of sclerochronology methods and applications
title_full Oyster shells as archives of present and past environmental variability and life history traits: A multi‐disciplinary review of sclerochronology methods and applications
title_fullStr Oyster shells as archives of present and past environmental variability and life history traits: A multi‐disciplinary review of sclerochronology methods and applications
title_full_unstemmed Oyster shells as archives of present and past environmental variability and life history traits: A multi‐disciplinary review of sclerochronology methods and applications
title_short Oyster shells as archives of present and past environmental variability and life history traits: A multi‐disciplinary review of sclerochronology methods and applications
title_sort oyster shells as archives of present and past environmental variability and life history traits a multi disciplinary review of sclerochronology methods and applications
url https://doi.org/10.1002/lol2.10461
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