The variable coquina clam, Donax variabilis, is one of the most common inhabitants of exposed sandy beach intertidal and shallow subtidal zones in the southeastern United States. Its exceptional burrowing and migratory behaviors are well documented, as are its biogeograpbic distribution and phylogenetic relationships. However, basic life history parameters such as season and rate of shell growth and longevity are poorly constrained for this species, usually estimated from size-frequency analyses of sample populations. High-resolution sampling of individual D. variabilis shells, and analysis of the oxygen isotopic variation in these samples, provides an alternate method of assessing shell growth and longevity in this species with a high degree of precision. Comparison of isotopic paleotemperature profiles with local seawater temperatures in the northeastern Florida study region indicates rapid shell growth (>4 mm/month) during a life span of 3 to 5 months, substantially shorter than most previous estimates. Detailed analysis of two modern shells indicates growth during spring and summer whereas four Archaic period archaeological shells revealed a summer-autumn growth record. In all cases the largest archaeological shells were substantially bigger than the largest modern shells, reflecting a greater longevity by about 2 months. Although recruitment can be fairly continuous throughout the year, size-frequency analyses of D. variabilis in separate years at the same locality reveal substantial interannual differences in population dynamics.