The use of ostracods from marginal marine, brackish waters as bioindicators of modern and Quaternary environmental change

Ostracoda (microscopic, aquatic Crustacea) from brackish waters have a great potential for ecological monitoring and palaeoenvironmental analyses in highly variable environments. This has been proven in many articles during recent decades but their potential has yet to be fully developed or utilised. The analysis of ostracod assemblage composition, species distributions, eco-phenotypic variability and the analysis of stable isotopes and trace elements in ostracod shells provide valuable information on present and past water salinity, temperature and chemistry, hydrodynamic conditions, substrate characteristics, climate, sea level variations, oxygen and nutrient availability. This article provides an overview on the application of ostracods from brackish waters for palaeoenvironmental reconstruction in the Quaternary and for environmental studies in present day environments.