A meta-collection of nitrogen stable isotope data measured in Arctic marine organisms from the Canadian Beaufort Sea shelf region, 1983-2013

• Main Authors: Ashley, Ehrman, Hoover, Carie, Brewster, Jasmine, Carolina, Giraldo, Loseto, Lisa, MacPhee, Shannon, Michel, Christine, Niemi, Andrea, Power, Michael, Reist, James D., Swanson, Heidi, Walkusz, Wojciech
• Format: Dataset
• Language: unknown
• Published: Canadian Cryospheric Information Network 2021
• Subjects: Arctic; Beaufort Sea
• Online Access: https://dx.doi.org/10.21963/13207; https://www.polardata.ca/pdcsearch?doi_id=13207

The associated dataset contains nitrogen stable isotope data measured in marine organisms from the Canadian Beaufort continental shelf region between 1983-2013, gathered from published and unpublished sources. The dataset was compiled for the purpose of cross-validating trophic level estimates calculated from a mass-balance food web model (Ecopath with Ecosim) with those calculated from nitrogen stable isotope data (Hoover et al. 2021). However, the meta-collection may be of broad use for trophic and ecological investigations in the Arctic. Existing information on Arctic marine food web structure is fragmented. Integrating data across research programs is an important strategy for building a baseline understanding of food web structure and function in many Arctic regions. Naturally-occurring stable isotope ratios of nitrogen (δ15N) measured directly in the tissues of organisms are a commonly-employed method for estimating food web structure. The objective of the current dataset was to synthesize disparate δ15N data in the Canadian Beaufort continental shelf region relevant to trophic and ecological studies at the local and pan-Arctic scales. The dataset presented here contains nitrogen stable isotope ratios (δ15N) measured in marine organisms from the Canadian Beaufort continental shelf region between 1983-2013, gathered from 28 published and unpublished sources with associated sampling metadata. A total of 1039 entries were collected, summarizing 8620 individual organisms/samples representing 333 taxa across the Arctic food web, from top marine mammal predators to primary producers.