The standard used for the forams O18 composition is PDB which is a Cretaceous belemnite from the Pee Dee Formation in North Carolina. Belemnites are extinct cephalopods with a thick calcium rostrum as part of their endosqueleton. Isotopic analysis of these rostra revealed two successive major temperature cycles having an amplitude of several degrees and extending across 60 million years of Mesozoic time. The amount of dissolved oxygen in sea water is controlled in most part by the temperature and salinity of sea water butthe fractionation of oxygene isotopes is more affected by temperature. Some factors have to be taken in consideration to use forams for dating.
Planktic forams live in upwelling areas to get enough nutrients, in tropical or subtropical regions.
Emiliani used them for his isotopic studies around 1966. The abundance of benthic forams decreases as depth increases. Planktic foraminifera are more frequently used to determine paleotemperatures. This is because benthic forams are outnumbered by planktic forams 99 to 1. It is a laborious task and a slow process to then try to find all the benthic tests.