Tracing carbon flow and trophic structure of a coastal Arctic marine food web using highly branched isoprenoids and carbon, nitrogen and sulfur stable isotopes
Climate-driven alterations of the marine environment are most rapid in Arctic and subarctic regions, including Hudson Bay in northern Canada, where declining sea ice, warming surface waters and ocean acidification are occurring at alarming rates. These changes are altering primary production pattern...
Published in: | Ecological Indicators |
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Language: | English |
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2023
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Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolind.2023.109938 https://doaj.org/article/c8654a3a95684440843afd5efecc4cf3 |
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ftdoajarticles:oai:doaj.org/article:c8654a3a95684440843afd5efecc4cf3 2023-05-15T14:31:41+02:00 Tracing carbon flow and trophic structure of a coastal Arctic marine food web using highly branched isoprenoids and carbon, nitrogen and sulfur stable isotopes Rémi Amiraux C.J. Mundy Marie Pierrejean Andrea Niemi Kevin J. Hedges Thomas A. Brown Jens K. Ehn Kyle H. Elliott Steven H. Ferguson Aaron T. Fisk Grant Gilchrist Les N. Harris Katrin Iken Kevin B. Jacobs Kelsey F. Johnson Z.A. Kuzyk Audrey Limoges Tracey N. Loewen Oliver P. Love Cory J.D. Matthews Wesley R. Ogloff Bruno Rosenberg Janne E. Søreide Cortney A. Watt David J. Yurkowski 2023-03-01T00:00:00Z https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolind.2023.109938 https://doaj.org/article/c8654a3a95684440843afd5efecc4cf3 EN eng Elsevier http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1470160X23000808 https://doaj.org/toc/1470-160X 1470-160X doi:10.1016/j.ecolind.2023.109938 https://doaj.org/article/c8654a3a95684440843afd5efecc4cf3 Ecological Indicators, Vol 147, Iss , Pp 109938- (2023) Subarctic Hudson Bay Southampton Island Stable isotopes HBIs Carbon flux Ecology QH540-549.5 article 2023 ftdoajarticles https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolind.2023.109938 2023-02-26T01:32:28Z Climate-driven alterations of the marine environment are most rapid in Arctic and subarctic regions, including Hudson Bay in northern Canada, where declining sea ice, warming surface waters and ocean acidification are occurring at alarming rates. These changes are altering primary production patterns that will ultimately cascade up through the food web. Here, we investigated (i) the vertical trophic structure of the Southampton Island marine ecosystem in northern Hudson Bay, (ii) the contribution of benthic and pelagic-derived prey to the higher trophic level species, and (iii) the relative contribution of ice algae and phytoplankton derived carbon in sustaining this ecosystem. For this purpose, we measured bulk stable carbon, nitrogen and sulfur isotope ratios as well as highly branched isoprenoids in samples belonging to 149 taxa, including invertebrates, fishes, seabirds and marine mammals. We found that the benthic invertebrates occupied 4 trophic levels and that the overall trophic system went up to an average trophic position of 4.8. The average δ34S signature of pelagic organisms indicated that they exploit both benthic and pelagic food sources, suggesting there are many interconnections between these compartments in this coastal area. The relatively high sympagic carbon dependence of Arctic marine mammals (53.3 ± 22.2 %) through their consumption of benthic invertebrate prey, confirms the important role of the benthic subweb for sustaining higher trophic level consumers in the coastal pelagic environment. Therefore, a potential decrease in the productivity of ice algae could lead to a profound alteration of the benthic food web and a cascading effect on this Arctic ecosystem. Article in Journal/Newspaper Arctic marine mammals Arctic Hudson Bay ice algae Ocean acidification Phytoplankton Sea ice Southampton Island Subarctic Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles Arctic Hudson Bay Canada Hudson Southampton Island ENVELOPE(-84.501,-84.501,64.463,64.463) Ecological Indicators 147 109938 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles |
op_collection_id |
ftdoajarticles |
language |
English |
topic |
Subarctic Hudson Bay Southampton Island Stable isotopes HBIs Carbon flux Ecology QH540-549.5 |
spellingShingle |
Subarctic Hudson Bay Southampton Island Stable isotopes HBIs Carbon flux Ecology QH540-549.5 Rémi Amiraux C.J. Mundy Marie Pierrejean Andrea Niemi Kevin J. Hedges Thomas A. Brown Jens K. Ehn Kyle H. Elliott Steven H. Ferguson Aaron T. Fisk Grant Gilchrist Les N. Harris Katrin Iken Kevin B. Jacobs Kelsey F. Johnson Z.A. Kuzyk Audrey Limoges Tracey N. Loewen Oliver P. Love Cory J.D. Matthews Wesley R. Ogloff Bruno Rosenberg Janne E. Søreide Cortney A. Watt David J. Yurkowski Tracing carbon flow and trophic structure of a coastal Arctic marine food web using highly branched isoprenoids and carbon, nitrogen and sulfur stable isotopes |
topic_facet |
Subarctic Hudson Bay Southampton Island Stable isotopes HBIs Carbon flux Ecology QH540-549.5 |
description |
Climate-driven alterations of the marine environment are most rapid in Arctic and subarctic regions, including Hudson Bay in northern Canada, where declining sea ice, warming surface waters and ocean acidification are occurring at alarming rates. These changes are altering primary production patterns that will ultimately cascade up through the food web. Here, we investigated (i) the vertical trophic structure of the Southampton Island marine ecosystem in northern Hudson Bay, (ii) the contribution of benthic and pelagic-derived prey to the higher trophic level species, and (iii) the relative contribution of ice algae and phytoplankton derived carbon in sustaining this ecosystem. For this purpose, we measured bulk stable carbon, nitrogen and sulfur isotope ratios as well as highly branched isoprenoids in samples belonging to 149 taxa, including invertebrates, fishes, seabirds and marine mammals. We found that the benthic invertebrates occupied 4 trophic levels and that the overall trophic system went up to an average trophic position of 4.8. The average δ34S signature of pelagic organisms indicated that they exploit both benthic and pelagic food sources, suggesting there are many interconnections between these compartments in this coastal area. The relatively high sympagic carbon dependence of Arctic marine mammals (53.3 ± 22.2 %) through their consumption of benthic invertebrate prey, confirms the important role of the benthic subweb for sustaining higher trophic level consumers in the coastal pelagic environment. Therefore, a potential decrease in the productivity of ice algae could lead to a profound alteration of the benthic food web and a cascading effect on this Arctic ecosystem. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Rémi Amiraux C.J. Mundy Marie Pierrejean Andrea Niemi Kevin J. Hedges Thomas A. Brown Jens K. Ehn Kyle H. Elliott Steven H. Ferguson Aaron T. Fisk Grant Gilchrist Les N. Harris Katrin Iken Kevin B. Jacobs Kelsey F. Johnson Z.A. Kuzyk Audrey Limoges Tracey N. Loewen Oliver P. Love Cory J.D. Matthews Wesley R. Ogloff Bruno Rosenberg Janne E. Søreide Cortney A. Watt David J. Yurkowski |
author_facet |
Rémi Amiraux C.J. Mundy Marie Pierrejean Andrea Niemi Kevin J. Hedges Thomas A. Brown Jens K. Ehn Kyle H. Elliott Steven H. Ferguson Aaron T. Fisk Grant Gilchrist Les N. Harris Katrin Iken Kevin B. Jacobs Kelsey F. Johnson Z.A. Kuzyk Audrey Limoges Tracey N. Loewen Oliver P. Love Cory J.D. Matthews Wesley R. Ogloff Bruno Rosenberg Janne E. Søreide Cortney A. Watt David J. Yurkowski |
author_sort |
Rémi Amiraux |
title |
Tracing carbon flow and trophic structure of a coastal Arctic marine food web using highly branched isoprenoids and carbon, nitrogen and sulfur stable isotopes |
title_short |
Tracing carbon flow and trophic structure of a coastal Arctic marine food web using highly branched isoprenoids and carbon, nitrogen and sulfur stable isotopes |
title_full |
Tracing carbon flow and trophic structure of a coastal Arctic marine food web using highly branched isoprenoids and carbon, nitrogen and sulfur stable isotopes |
title_fullStr |
Tracing carbon flow and trophic structure of a coastal Arctic marine food web using highly branched isoprenoids and carbon, nitrogen and sulfur stable isotopes |
title_full_unstemmed |
Tracing carbon flow and trophic structure of a coastal Arctic marine food web using highly branched isoprenoids and carbon, nitrogen and sulfur stable isotopes |
title_sort |
tracing carbon flow and trophic structure of a coastal arctic marine food web using highly branched isoprenoids and carbon, nitrogen and sulfur stable isotopes |
publisher |
Elsevier |
publishDate |
2023 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolind.2023.109938 https://doaj.org/article/c8654a3a95684440843afd5efecc4cf3 |
long_lat |
ENVELOPE(-84.501,-84.501,64.463,64.463) |
geographic |
Arctic Hudson Bay Canada Hudson Southampton Island |
geographic_facet |
Arctic Hudson Bay Canada Hudson Southampton Island |
genre |
Arctic marine mammals Arctic Hudson Bay ice algae Ocean acidification Phytoplankton Sea ice Southampton Island Subarctic |
genre_facet |
Arctic marine mammals Arctic Hudson Bay ice algae Ocean acidification Phytoplankton Sea ice Southampton Island Subarctic |
op_source |
Ecological Indicators, Vol 147, Iss , Pp 109938- (2023) |
op_relation |
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1470160X23000808 https://doaj.org/toc/1470-160X 1470-160X doi:10.1016/j.ecolind.2023.109938 https://doaj.org/article/c8654a3a95684440843afd5efecc4cf3 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolind.2023.109938 |
container_title |
Ecological Indicators |
container_volume |
147 |
container_start_page |
109938 |
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1766305233311367168 |