About

Donna Surge is a Professor and the Director of Graduate Studies in the Department of Earth, Marine and Environmental Sciences at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Her research interests bridge the fields of paleoclimatology, paleoecology, archaeology, and low-temperature geochemistry. She focuses on climatic and ecological archives contained in accretionary hard-part remains of coastal marine shellfish from modern nearshore habitats, Holocene archaeological deposits, and Plio-Pleistocene fossil deposits. These archives are microsampled at high resolution in the Paleoclimate & Paleoecology Laboratory. Her work aims to understand past climate and ecological changes through detailed analysis of geological and archaeological materials.

Research topics

• Ecology
• Biology
• Oceanography
• Environmental science
• Geology
• Chemistry
• Paleontology
• Environmental chemistry
• Archaeology
• Geography
• Physics

Selected publications

• Seasonal Sea Surface Temperatures from Mercenaria spp. During the Plio-Pleistocene: Oxygen Isotope Versus Clumped Isotope Paleothermometers

  UNC Libraries · 2025-09-04

  articleOpen accessSenior author

  The Mid-Piacenzian Warm Interval (MPWI) is marked by warmer temperatures and higher atmospheric CO2 levels than today, making it an analogue for late-21st-century-warming, whereas the early Pleistocene cooling is more like today. We compare seasonal growth temperatures derived from oxygen isotope ratios (δ18O) and clumped isotopes (∆47) in Mercenaria. Modern shells were previously collected from coastal NC. The fossil shells are from the Duplin (MPWI) and Waccamaw Formations (early Pleistocene), NC. Oxygen isotope ratios range from −2.2‰ to 2.3‰ (modern), −0.9‰ to 2.4‰ (MPWI), and −0.9‰ to 2.9‰ (early Pleistocene). The values of Δ47 range from 0.576‰ to 0.639‰ (modern), 0.566‰ to 0.621‰ (MPWI), and 0.581‰ to 0.615‰ (early Pleistocene). We show that Mercenaria do not require a species-specific ∆47 calibration. Modern and MPWI ∆47-derived summer/winter temperatures (SST∆47) and seasonal amplitudes are indistinguishable from δ18O-derived temperatures. The early Pleistocene summer SST∆47 is indistinguishable from δ18O-derived temperatures, but the winter SST∆47 is warmer by 5 °C and may reflect within-shell time averaging. The modern summer/winter SST∆47 are indistinguishable from the MPWI, but the MPWI has a lower seasonal amplitude by 5 °C. Compared to our calculated δ18Osw values, modeled values for the MPWI are within error but are much lower, and they are not within error for the early Pleistocene.

  PublisherDOI

• Growth cessation and metabolism complicate the use of Rangia cuneata shells as environmental proxies

  Palaeogeography Palaeoclimatology Palaeoecology · 2025-12-08

  articleOpen accessSenior author

  A comparison of high-resolution δ 18 O values in the aragonite shells of Rangia cuneata with sub-monthly δ 18 O water , temperature, and salinity data reveals extended and unpredictable periods of growth cessation from late fall to early spring. We hypothesize that fluctuations in temperature and salinity cause this growth cessation. We utilized δ 13 C shell , δ 13 C DIC , and tissue δ 13 C values to estimate the amount of metabolic carbon incorporated into the shell carbonate in R. cuneata as a proxy for metabolic rate. Increases in the average amount of metabolic carbon incorporated into the shell carbonate increased with the average salinity along the Neuse River Estuary in North Carolina, USA, suggesting that variations in salinity lead to stress, despite the species' wide salinity tolerance. Alternative species are preferable for paleoclimate reconstructions until the triggers of growth cessation in this species are identified. • Rangia shells show long winter growth cessation, disrupting seasonal isotope records. • δ 13 C analyses show higher metabolic carbon incorporation into shell at higher-salinity sites. • Higher % metabolic carbon incorporation into s osmoregulatory stress along the salinity gradient. • Rangia shells are unreliable for paleoclimate reconstructions until growth triggers and metabolic-environmental interactions are better constrained.

  PublisherDOI

• Seasonal Sea Surface Temperatures from Mercenaria spp. During the Plio-Pleistocene: Oxygen Isotope Versus Clumped Isotope Paleothermometers

  Geosciences · 2025-08-02

  articleOpen access

  The Mid-Piacenzian Warm Interval (MPWI) is marked by warmer temperatures and higher atmospheric CO2 levels than today, making it an analogue for late-21st-century-warming, whereas the early Pleistocene cooling is more like today. We compare seasonal growth temperatures derived from oxygen isotope ratios (δ18O) and clumped isotopes (∆47) in Mercenaria. Modern shells were previously collected from coastal NC. The fossil shells are from the Duplin (MPWI) and Waccamaw Formations (early Pleistocene), NC. Oxygen isotope ratios range from −2.2‰ to 2.3‰ (modern), −0.9‰ to 2.4‰ (MPWI), and −0.9‰ to 2.9‰ (early Pleistocene). The values of Δ47 range from 0.576‰ to 0.639‰ (modern), 0.566‰ to 0.621‰ (MPWI), and 0.581‰ to 0.615‰ (early Pleistocene). We show that Mercenaria do not require a species-specific ∆47 calibration. Modern and MPWI ∆47-derived summer/winter temperatures (SST∆47) and seasonal amplitudes are indistinguishable from δ18O-derived temperatures. The early Pleistocene summer SST∆47 is indistinguishable from δ18O-derived temperatures, but the winter SST∆47 is warmer by 5 °C and may reflect within-shell time averaging. The modern summer/winter SST∆47 are indistinguishable from the MPWI, but the MPWI has a lower seasonal amplitude by 5 °C. Compared to our calculated δ18Osw values, modeled values for the MPWI are within error but are much lower, and they are not within error for the early Pleistocene.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Growth cessations and metabolism complicate Rangia cuneata shells as an environmental proxy

  SSRN Electronic Journal · 2025-01-01

  preprintOpen accessSenior author
  PublisherDOI

• Synthetic and practical reconstructions of SST and seawater pH using the novel multiproxy SMITE method

  PLoS ONE · 2024-06-25 · 1 citations

  articleOpen accessCorresponding

  Geochemical proxies of sea surface temperature (SST) and seawater pH (pHsw) in scleractinian coral skeletons are valuable tools for reconstructing tropical climate variability. However, most coral skeletal SST and pHsw proxies are univariate methods that are limited in their capacity to circumvent non-climate-related variability. Here we present a novel multivariate method for reconstructing SST and pHsw from the geochemistry of coral skeletons. Our Scleractinian Multivariate Isotope and Trace Element (SMITE) method optimizes reconstruction skill by leveraging the covariance across an array of coral elemental and isotopic data with SST and pHsw. First, using a synthetic proxy experiment, we find that SMITE SST reconstruction statistics (correlation, accuracy, and precision) are insensitive to noise and variable calibration period lengths relative to Sr/Ca. While SMITE pHsw reconstruction statistics remain relative to δ11B throughout the same synthetic experiment, the magnitude of the long-term trend in pHsw is progressively lost under conditions of moderate-to-high analytical uncertainty. Next, we apply the SMITE method to an array of seven coral-based geochemical variables (B/Ca, δ11B, Li/Ca, Mg/Ca, Sr/Ca, U/Ca & Li/Mg) measured from two Bermudan Porites astreoides corals. Despite a <3.5 year calibration period, SMITE SST and pHsw estimates exhibit significantly better accuracy, precision, and correlation with their respective climate targets than the best single- and dual-proxy estimators. Furthermore, SMITE model parameters are highly reproducible between the two coral cores, indicating great potential for fossil applications (when preservation is high). The results shown here indicate that the SMITE method can outperform the most common coral-based SST and pHsw reconstructions methods to date, particularly in datasets with a large variety of geochemical variables. We therefore provide a list of recommendations and procedures for users to begin implementing the SMITE method as well as an open-source software package to facilitate dissemination of the SMITE method.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Reconstructed seasonality during the Mid Piacenzian Warm Interval and early Pleistocene cooling as recorded by growth temperatures from Mercenaria shells

  Quaternary Science Reviews · 2024-02-14 · 2 citations

  article
  PublisherDOI

• Latitudinal life history gradients in two Pliocene species of <i>Glycymeris</i> (Bivalvia)

  Historical Biology · 2024-06-23 · 1 citations

  article

  Modern bivalves display a latitudinal life history gradient (LLHG): tropical bivalves tend to grow fast and die young, whereas mid- and high-latitude bivalves typically grow more slowly and may live much longer. Environmental factors such as temperature and seasonal food availability, both of which affect metabolic rates, are thought to be partially responsible for this pattern. Given that temperature influences life histories, we predict that the expression of individual life history gradients should vary over time with changes in global climate. Here, we use internal growth increments to constrain lifespans and growth rates in populations of Glycymeris americana and Glycymeris subovata along the Pliocene and Pleistocene Atlantic continental shelf of North America. We find that G. americana was long-lived (up to 93 years) and follows the expected pattern of longer life and slower growth at higher latitudes, whereas the shorter-lived (up to 36 years) G. subovata does not. G. americana life history data lend preliminary support for a change in the slope of the LLHG from the Pliocene to the Pleistocene. While G. americana is currently living along the U.S. Atlantic Coast, we were unable to obtain sufficient samples for our analysis; this represents a future area of research.

  PublisherDOI

• Confirmation of Mg/Ca ratios as palaeothermometers in Atlantic limpet shells

  Palaeogeography Palaeoclimatology Palaeoecology · 2024-10-09 · 7 citations

  articleOpen access

  This study provides a reassessment of magnesium to calcium (Mg/Ca) ratios in Atlantic limpet shells to determine past sea surface temperatures (SST). While Patella depressa along the Spanish shoreline and Patella caerulea in the Mediterranean have repeatedly produced reliable correlations between SST and Mg/Ca ratios, this relationship is not the case for other patelloid species. Particularly, Patella vulgata but also Nacella deaurata have been studied using Mg/Ca ratios with mixed or contrary results. In this study, we present elemental maps of these two species as well as Nacella magellanica together with oxygen isotope ratios ( δ 18 O) that confirm a good relationship with SST. Our dataset also reassesses a specimen which was previously unsuccessful in providing significant correlations between δ 18 O values and Mg/Ca ratios. By reassessing these species and including modern and archaeological specimens ( n = 12) from three patelloid species ( P. vulgata , N. deaurata , and N. magellanica ) we further add to the growing set of evidence for the reliable use of Mg/Ca ratios to detect palaeotemperature change. As a result, these species can in the future serve to determine ontogenetic age and season of capture as well as to reveal locations of interest within the growth record (i.e. annual temperature minima and maxima) for targeted δ 18 O and clumped isotope analysis. • Reexamining Mg/Ca in three limpet species ( Patella vulgata , Nacella deaurata and Nacella magellanica ) suggests it is a potential proxy for sea surface temperature change. • Correlations between Mg/Ca and δ 18 O as well as Mg/Ca and sea surface temperature in P. vulgata, N. deaurata, and N. magellanica shells were reliable with mean R 2 values of 0.89, 0.86, and 0.88 respectively, but highly specimen specific. • The findings support the future use of limpet shells as palaeoclimate archives, enabling more accurate and more extensive reconstructions of seasonal and long-term climatic conditions in both modern and archaeological contexts.

  PublisherDOI

• MORPHOMETRICS OF FOSSIL <b>MERCENARIA</b> SHELLS FROM THE MID PIACENZIAN WARM INTERVAL AND THE SUBSEQUENT EARLY PLEISTOCENE COOLING, MID ATLANTIC COASTAL PLAIN

  Abstracts with programs - Geological Society of America · 2024-01-01

  articleSenior author
  PublisherDOI

• Seasonal SIMS δ18O record in Astarte borealis from the Baltic Sea tracks a modern regime shift in the NAO

  UNC Libraries · 2024-01-04

  articleOpen accessSenior author

  Introduction: Astarte borealis holds great potential as an archive of seasonal paleoclimate, especially due to its long lifespan (several decades to more than a century) and ubiquitous distribution across high northern latitudes. Furthermore, recent work demonstrates that the isotope geochemistry of the aragonite shell is a faithful proxy of environmental conditions. However, the exceedingly slow growth rates of A. borealis in some locations (<0.2mm/year) make it difficult to achieve seasonal resolution using standard micromilling techniques for conventional stable isotope analysis. Moreover, oxygen isotope (δ18O) records from species inhabiting brackish environments are notoriously difficult to use as paleoclimate archives because of the simultaneous variation in temperature and δ18Owater values. Methods: Here we use secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) to microsample an A. borealis specimen from the southern Baltic Sea, yielding 451 SIMS δ18Oshell values at sub-monthly resolution. Results: SIMS δ18Oshell values exhibit a quasi-sinusoidal pattern with 24 local maxima and minima coinciding with 24 annual growth increments between March 1977 and the month before specimen collection in May 2001. Discussion: Age-modeled SIMS δ18Oshell values correlate significantly with both in situ temperature measured from shipborne CTD casts (r2 = 0.52, p<0.001) and sea surface temperature from the ORAS5-SST global reanalysis product for the Baltic Sea region (r2 = 0.42, p<0.001). We observe the strongest correlation between SIMS δ18Oshell values and salinity when both datasets are run through a 36-month LOWESS function (r2 = 0.71, p < 0.001). Similarly, we find that LOWESS-smoothed SIMS δ18Oshell values exhibit a moderate correlation with the LOWESS-smoothed North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) Index (r2 = 0.46, p<0.001). Change point analysis supports that SIMS δ18Oshell values capture a well-documented regime shift in the NAO circa 1989. We hypothesize that the correlation between the SIMS δ18Oshell time series and the NAO is enhanced by the latter’s influence on the regional covariance of water temperature and δ18Owater values on interannual and longer timescales in the Baltic Sea. These results showcase the potential for SIMS δ18Oshell values in A. borealis shells to provide robust paleoclimate information regarding hydroclimate variability from seasonal to decadal timescales.

  PublisherDOI

Recent grants

• Collaborative Research: Seasonal climate change over the last two millennia from archaeological sources in the subtropical eastern North Atlantic region

  NSF · $200k · 2018–2022

• Collaborative Research: Calibration of Sr:Ca and d18O Proxies of the Southern Quahog, Mercenaria Campechiensis, to Reconstruct Late Holocene Climate, SW Florida

  NSF · $201k · 2004–2007

• Biological Consequences of Environmental Change in the Bivalve, Astarte: Relationships Between Lifespan, Growth Rate, and Cold vs. Warm Climate States

  NSF · $393k · 2017–2021

• P2C2: Mid to Late Holocene Seasonality from Archaeological Sources in North Atlantic Coastal Scotland

  NSF · $464k · 2011–2015

• Collaborative Research: Late Holocene Climate Archives Preserved in Archaeological Shells

  NSF · $233k · 2006–2010

Frequent coauthors

• Michael Savarese

  26 shared

• Yurena Yanes

  University of Cincinnati

  14 shared

• Wesley Parker

  Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist

  13 shared

• Lauren E. Graniero

  University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

  12 shared

• Iván Briz i Godino

  11 shared

• David K. Moss

  Sam Houston State University

  11 shared

• Kyger C. Lohmann

  Museu da Lourinhã

  11 shared

• Karen Walker

  Barnes-Jewish Hospital

  10 shared

Education

• PhD, Geological Sciences

  University of Michigan

  2001

• MS, Geosciences

  Indiana University Bloomington

  1996

• BA, Geography & Geology

  CUNY at Hunter College

  1993