Simultaneous use of strontium:calcium and barium:calcium ratios in otoliths as markers of habitat: Application to the European eel (Anguilla anguilla) in the Adour basin, South West France

• Published in: Marine Environmental Research
• Main Authors: Tabouret, Hélène, Bareille, Gilles, Claverie, F., Pécheyran, Christophe, Prouzet, P., Donard, O.F.X.
• Other Authors: Institut des sciences analytiques et de physico-chimie pour l'environnement et les materiaux (IPREM), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut de Chimie du CNRS (INC)-Université de Pau et des Pays de l'Adour (UPPA), Laboratoire Ressources Halieutiques (LRH), Institut Français de Recherche pour l'Exploitation de la Mer (IFREMER), Laboratoire de Chimie Analytique Bio-Inorganique et Environnement (LCABIE), Université de Pau et des Pays de l'Adour (UPPA)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: HAL CCSD 2010
• Subjects: [SDV.EE.ECO]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Ecology; environment/Ecosystems; Anguilla anguilla
• Online Access: https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01557314; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marenvres.2010.02.006

cited By 66 International audience Sr:Ca and Ba:Ca ratios in water from the Adour estuary show a clear relationship with the salinity of the surrounding water for salinities <20, while ratios are almost constant above this level of salinity. A positive relationship was observed for the Sr:Ca ratio, whereas it was inverse for the Ba:Ca ratio. These two elemental ratios were measured in the otoliths of the European eels (Anguilla anguilla L.) using femtosecond laser ablation linked to an ICP-MS (fs-LA-ICP-MS). There was a direct relationship between the elemental ratios recorded in eel otoliths and those found in water from fresh and marine areas, suggesting that Sr:Ca and Ba:Ca ratios in eel otoliths can be used as markers of habitat in this estuary. Continuous profiling allowed the determination of three behaviour patterns in terms of habitat: freshwater, estuary and migratory individuals. Finally, the above results support the simultaneous use of both ratios for a better understanding of the migratory contingents and also as a relevant method to avoid a misidentification of environmental migratory history due to the presence of vaterite crystal in the otolith matrix.