Temperature Dependence of Carbon Isotope Composition in Marine Plankton and Sediments

Samples of marine plankton collected in high-latitude areas of the South Atlantic where surface water temperatures are near 0°C show a carbon-12 enrichment of 6 per mill relative to samples collected where temperatures are about 25°C. The organic carbon in sediments in the Drake Passage and Argentine Basin also shows a carbon-12 enrichment relative to warmer areas.