(Table 1) Geochemical analyses of ostracode shells from ODP Site 133-822

Analyses of living benthic ostracodes collected in the Coral Sea show a direct relationship between water temperature and the Mg/Ca ratio in the ostracode shells. Fossil ostracodes from Hole 822A (western edge of the Queensland Trough) were analyzed for their Mg and Ca content, and paleotemperatures are inferred using equations derived from the modern material. The bottom-water temperature record from Site 822, spanning the last 120,000 yr, indicates substantial cooling during glacial periods. It also documents important variations during an interval that is considered to correspond to isotopic stage 5. Although still preliminary, these results show that trace-element analyses of ostracode shells have a great potential for paleoceanographic studies.