Ostracodes constitutes a microfossil group with many applications to geosciences as denoted by their paleoenvironmental and biostratigraphic uses. From the middle of 20th century ostracode assemblages began to be used as oceanographic proxies because of the relationship between faunal turnovers and hydrologic changes. The chitino-calcitic shell enables also geochemical analyses which permit the assessment of the influence of climatic events in the oceanic circulation and water properties. That research field has been developed in some Brazilian research institutions, improving the oceanographic knowledge in our country.
