When Organisms Living in Seawater Grow Shells, the Ratio Between

Multiple Choice

When organisms living in seawater grow shells, the ratio between the isotopes of oxygen ¹⁸O/¹⁶O. trapped in their shell is dependent on the sea temperature. Why might geologists collect these sea shells from deep- sea sediments that are Pleistocene in age and measure their oxygen isotope ratios?

A) They might want to know how cold the water was at the seafloor in the past.
B) The organisms live near the surface, so their oxygen isotope ratios record surface temperature during Earth's great climate fluctuations of the ice age.
C) The organisms live in the photic zone, and so photosynthesis must be the main factor in the oxygen content.
D) They want to know how metabolism of the organism affects the oxygen isotope ratios.