Compound specific isotope analyses of harp seal teeth : tools for trophic ecology reconstruction
Funding: This work resulted from the ARISE project (NE/P006035/1 awarded to CM and RJ, and NE/P00623X/1 awarded to SS), part of the Changing Arctic Ocean programme, funded by the UKRI Natural Environment Research Council (NERC). As sentinels of ecosystem health, high trophic level predators integrat...
Published in: | Marine Ecology Progress Series |
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Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , |
Other Authors: | , , , , , |
Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
Language: | English |
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2022
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Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/10023/26370 https://doi.org/10.3354/meps13867 |
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ftstandrewserep:oai:research-repository.st-andrews.ac.uk:10023/26370 |
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openpolar |
institution |
Open Polar |
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University of St Andrews: Digital Research Repository |
op_collection_id |
ftstandrewserep |
language |
English |
topic |
Phocid seals Foraging specialisation Isotopic niche Trophic position Diet Dentine Inert tissues QH301 Biology Aquatic Science Ecology Evolution Behavior and Systematics NDAS NERC SDG 14 - Life Below Water MCC QH301 |
spellingShingle |
Phocid seals Foraging specialisation Isotopic niche Trophic position Diet Dentine Inert tissues QH301 Biology Aquatic Science Ecology Evolution Behavior and Systematics NDAS NERC SDG 14 - Life Below Water MCC QH301 Kershaw, Joanna Louise de la Vega, Camille Jeffreys, Rachel Frie, Anne Kristine Haug, Tore Mahaffey, Claire Mettam, Colin Stenson, Garry Smout, Sophie Caroline Compound specific isotope analyses of harp seal teeth : tools for trophic ecology reconstruction |
topic_facet |
Phocid seals Foraging specialisation Isotopic niche Trophic position Diet Dentine Inert tissues QH301 Biology Aquatic Science Ecology Evolution Behavior and Systematics NDAS NERC SDG 14 - Life Below Water MCC QH301 |
description |
Funding: This work resulted from the ARISE project (NE/P006035/1 awarded to CM and RJ, and NE/P00623X/1 awarded to SS), part of the Changing Arctic Ocean programme, funded by the UKRI Natural Environment Research Council (NERC). As sentinels of ecosystem health, high trophic level predators integrate information through all levels of the food web. Their tissues can be used to investigate spatiotemporal variability in foraging behaviour, and with the appropriate analytical methods and tools, archived samples can be used to reconstruct past trophic interactions. Harp seal (Pagophilus groenlandicus) teeth collected in the 1990s from the Northwest Atlantic were analysed for bulk stable carbon and nitrogen isotopes (δ13Cbulk and δ15Nbulk), and compound specific stable nitrogen isotopes of amino acids (δ15NAA) for the first time. We developed a fine-scale, annual growth layer group (GLG) dentine sub-sampling method corresponding to their second and third year of life. In accordance with previous diet studies, while there was individual variability in δ15Nbulk, δ13Cbulk, and δ15NAA measurements, we did not detect significant differences in isotopic niche widths between males and females, or between GLGs. Relative trophic position was calculated as the baseline corrected δ15NAA values using trophic (glutamic acid) and source (phenylalanine and glycine) amino acids. Variability was measured between individuals in their relative trophic position, but within individual variability was low, suggesting that they fed at the same trophic level over these 2 years of life. These novel δ15NAA data may therefore suggest individual, specialist harp seal foraging behaviour in sub-adults. Our findings show that compound specific stable isotope signatures of archived, inert predator tissues can be used as tools for the retrospective reconstruction of trophic interactions on broad spatiotemporal scales. Postprint Peer reviewed |
author2 |
NERC University of St Andrews. School of Biology University of St Andrews. Sea Mammal Research Unit University of St Andrews. Scottish Oceans Institute University of St Andrews. Centre for Research into Ecological & Environmental Modelling University of St Andrews. Coastal Resources Management Group |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Kershaw, Joanna Louise de la Vega, Camille Jeffreys, Rachel Frie, Anne Kristine Haug, Tore Mahaffey, Claire Mettam, Colin Stenson, Garry Smout, Sophie Caroline |
author_facet |
Kershaw, Joanna Louise de la Vega, Camille Jeffreys, Rachel Frie, Anne Kristine Haug, Tore Mahaffey, Claire Mettam, Colin Stenson, Garry Smout, Sophie Caroline |
author_sort |
Kershaw, Joanna Louise |
title |
Compound specific isotope analyses of harp seal teeth : tools for trophic ecology reconstruction |
title_short |
Compound specific isotope analyses of harp seal teeth : tools for trophic ecology reconstruction |
title_full |
Compound specific isotope analyses of harp seal teeth : tools for trophic ecology reconstruction |
title_fullStr |
Compound specific isotope analyses of harp seal teeth : tools for trophic ecology reconstruction |
title_full_unstemmed |
Compound specific isotope analyses of harp seal teeth : tools for trophic ecology reconstruction |
title_sort |
compound specific isotope analyses of harp seal teeth : tools for trophic ecology reconstruction |
publishDate |
2022 |
url |
http://hdl.handle.net/10023/26370 https://doi.org/10.3354/meps13867 |
geographic |
Arctic Arctic Ocean |
geographic_facet |
Arctic Arctic Ocean |
genre |
Arctic Arctic Ocean Harp Seal Northwest Atlantic Pagophilus groenlandicus |
genre_facet |
Arctic Arctic Ocean Harp Seal Northwest Atlantic Pagophilus groenlandicus |
op_relation |
Marine Ecology Progress Series Kershaw , J L , de la Vega , C , Jeffreys , R , Frie , A K , Haug , T , Mahaffey , C , Mettam , C , Stenson , G & Smout , S C 2021 , ' Compound specific isotope analyses of harp seal teeth : tools for trophic ecology reconstruction ' , Marine Ecology Progress Series , vol. 678 , pp. 211-225 . https://doi.org/10.3354/meps13867 0171-8630 PURE: 275527369 PURE UUID: a0f42e4b-3638-438e-a8bd-7d04fb1adb08 Scopus: 85125440502 WOS: 000720333500015 http://hdl.handle.net/10023/26370 https://doi.org/10.3354/meps13867 NE/P00623X/1 |
op_rights |
Copyright © 2022 Inter-Research. This work has been made available online in accordance with publisher policies or with permission. Permission for further reuse of this content should be sought from the publisher or the rights holder. This is the author created accepted manuscript following peer review and may differ slightly from the final published version. The final published version of this work is available at https://doi.org/10.3354/meps13867. |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.3354/meps13867 |
container_title |
Marine Ecology Progress Series |
container_volume |
678 |
container_start_page |
211 |
op_container_end_page |
225 |
_version_ |
1775348918173827072 |
spelling |
ftstandrewserep:oai:research-repository.st-andrews.ac.uk:10023/26370 2023-08-27T04:08:13+02:00 Compound specific isotope analyses of harp seal teeth : tools for trophic ecology reconstruction Kershaw, Joanna Louise de la Vega, Camille Jeffreys, Rachel Frie, Anne Kristine Haug, Tore Mahaffey, Claire Mettam, Colin Stenson, Garry Smout, Sophie Caroline NERC University of St Andrews. School of Biology University of St Andrews. Sea Mammal Research Unit University of St Andrews. Scottish Oceans Institute University of St Andrews. Centre for Research into Ecological & Environmental Modelling University of St Andrews. Coastal Resources Management Group 2022-11-11 15 application/pdf http://hdl.handle.net/10023/26370 https://doi.org/10.3354/meps13867 eng eng Marine Ecology Progress Series Kershaw , J L , de la Vega , C , Jeffreys , R , Frie , A K , Haug , T , Mahaffey , C , Mettam , C , Stenson , G & Smout , S C 2021 , ' Compound specific isotope analyses of harp seal teeth : tools for trophic ecology reconstruction ' , Marine Ecology Progress Series , vol. 678 , pp. 211-225 . https://doi.org/10.3354/meps13867 0171-8630 PURE: 275527369 PURE UUID: a0f42e4b-3638-438e-a8bd-7d04fb1adb08 Scopus: 85125440502 WOS: 000720333500015 http://hdl.handle.net/10023/26370 https://doi.org/10.3354/meps13867 NE/P00623X/1 Copyright © 2022 Inter-Research. This work has been made available online in accordance with publisher policies or with permission. Permission for further reuse of this content should be sought from the publisher or the rights holder. This is the author created accepted manuscript following peer review and may differ slightly from the final published version. The final published version of this work is available at https://doi.org/10.3354/meps13867. Phocid seals Foraging specialisation Isotopic niche Trophic position Diet Dentine Inert tissues QH301 Biology Aquatic Science Ecology Evolution Behavior and Systematics NDAS NERC SDG 14 - Life Below Water MCC QH301 Journal article 2022 ftstandrewserep https://doi.org/10.3354/meps13867 2023-08-10T22:29:35Z Funding: This work resulted from the ARISE project (NE/P006035/1 awarded to CM and RJ, and NE/P00623X/1 awarded to SS), part of the Changing Arctic Ocean programme, funded by the UKRI Natural Environment Research Council (NERC). As sentinels of ecosystem health, high trophic level predators integrate information through all levels of the food web. Their tissues can be used to investigate spatiotemporal variability in foraging behaviour, and with the appropriate analytical methods and tools, archived samples can be used to reconstruct past trophic interactions. Harp seal (Pagophilus groenlandicus) teeth collected in the 1990s from the Northwest Atlantic were analysed for bulk stable carbon and nitrogen isotopes (δ13Cbulk and δ15Nbulk), and compound specific stable nitrogen isotopes of amino acids (δ15NAA) for the first time. We developed a fine-scale, annual growth layer group (GLG) dentine sub-sampling method corresponding to their second and third year of life. In accordance with previous diet studies, while there was individual variability in δ15Nbulk, δ13Cbulk, and δ15NAA measurements, we did not detect significant differences in isotopic niche widths between males and females, or between GLGs. Relative trophic position was calculated as the baseline corrected δ15NAA values using trophic (glutamic acid) and source (phenylalanine and glycine) amino acids. Variability was measured between individuals in their relative trophic position, but within individual variability was low, suggesting that they fed at the same trophic level over these 2 years of life. These novel δ15NAA data may therefore suggest individual, specialist harp seal foraging behaviour in sub-adults. Our findings show that compound specific stable isotope signatures of archived, inert predator tissues can be used as tools for the retrospective reconstruction of trophic interactions on broad spatiotemporal scales. Postprint Peer reviewed Article in Journal/Newspaper Arctic Arctic Ocean Harp Seal Northwest Atlantic Pagophilus groenlandicus University of St Andrews: Digital Research Repository Arctic Arctic Ocean Marine Ecology Progress Series 678 211 225 |