Arctic seals as tracers of environmental and ecological change

Abstract Knowledge of species trophic position (TP) is an essential component of ecosystem management. Determining TP from stable nitrogen isotopes (δ15N) in predators requires understanding how these tracers vary across environments and how they relate to predator isotope composition. We used two s...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Limnology and Oceanography Letters
Main Authors: Camille de la Vega, Claire Mahaffey, Robyn E. Tuerena, David J. Yurkowski, Steven H. Ferguson, Garry B. Stenson, Erling S. Nordøy, Tore Haug, Martin Biuw, Sophie Smout, Jo Hopkins, Alessandro Tagliabue, Rachel M. Jeffreys
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2021
Subjects:
Oceanography
GC1-1581
Arctic
Pacific
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1002/lol2.10176
https://doaj.org/article/0c6ea8ecc0aa4aa3b834ad4868cf547f
Description
Summary:Abstract Knowledge of species trophic position (TP) is an essential component of ecosystem management. Determining TP from stable nitrogen isotopes (δ15N) in predators requires understanding how these tracers vary across environments and how they relate to predator isotope composition. We used two seal species as a model for determining TP across large spatial scales in the Arctic. δ15N in seawater nitrate (δ15NNO3) and seal muscle amino acids (δ15NAA) were determined to independently characterize the base of the food web and the TP of harp and ringed seals, demonstrating a direct link between δ15NNO3 and δ15NAA. Our results show that the spatial variation in δ15NAA in seals reflects the δ15NNO3 end members in Pacific vs. Atlantic waters. This study provides a reference for best practice on accurate comparison of TP in predators and as such, provides a framework to assess the impact of environmental and human‐induced changes on ecosystems at pan‐Arctic scales.

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