Examining the response of top marine predators to ecological change using stable isotope proxies
Monitoring the response of upper trophic level animals to ecological change is important to understanding the state and stability of ecosystems. Marine predators integrate information over large geographical scales and are relatively long-lived; furthermore, many of these organisms are restricted to...
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University of St Andrews
2012
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Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/10023/3221 |
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ftstandrewserep:oai:research-repository.st-andrews.ac.uk:10023/3221 2023-07-02T03:30:08+02:00 Examining the response of top marine predators to ecological change using stable isotope proxies Hanson, Nora Nell Boyd, Ian Todd, Christopher David 172 2012-10-24T14:48:13Z application/pdf http://hdl.handle.net/10023/3221 en eng University of St Andrews The University of St Andrews uk.bl.ethos.558145 http://hdl.handle.net/10023/3221 QH541.5S3H2 Marine ecology Stable isotopes in ecological research Predatory marine animals--Ecology Top predators--Ecology Thesis Doctoral PhD Doctor of Philosophy 2012 ftstandrewserep 2023-06-13T18:27:32Z Monitoring the response of upper trophic level animals to ecological change is important to understanding the state and stability of ecosystems. Marine predators integrate information over large geographical scales and are relatively long-lived; furthermore, many of these organisms are restricted to terrestrial or freshwater habitats at certain times during their life history and are accessible to researchers. This thesis investigated the response of marine predators to ecological change at a variety of spatial and temporal scales using stable isotope ratio methods with the aims of developing meaningful proxies, or indices, of variability in marine ecosystems. The first study explored the intrinsic (i.e. ontogenetic) and extrinsic (i.e. environmental) factors important to modulating variation in the stable isotope ratios of C and N in tooth dentin of male Antarctic fur seals (Arctocephalus gazella) in the Southern Ocean. In the second study, long-term records of variation in δ¹⁵N and δ¹³C values of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) scales and grey seal (Halichoerus grypus) tooth dentin provided evidence for large-scale climate forcing across the eastern North Atlantic. In the following study, a more detailed examination of intra- and inter-individual stable isotope variation in Atlantic salmon within a single year was undertaken in an attempt to better understand recent declines in somatic condition of these fish. The last two studies were concerned with the development of high resolution sampling of fish otoliths using secondary mass spectrometry (SIMS) and the application of this technique to reconstructing the thermal and metabolic histories of individual Atlantic salmon from intra-otolith δ¹³C and δ¹⁸O values. Stable isotope proxies can be used to document shifts in trophic dynamics and animal movement that may be associated with ecological change. Using multiple tissues, elements and species, such studies provide unique monitoring tools at a range of spatial and temporal scales. Doctoral or Postdoctoral Thesis Antarc* Antarctic Antarctic Fur Seals Arctocephalus gazella Atlantic salmon North Atlantic Salmo salar Southern Ocean University of St Andrews: Digital Research Repository Antarctic Southern Ocean |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
University of St Andrews: Digital Research Repository |
op_collection_id |
ftstandrewserep |
language |
English |
topic |
QH541.5S3H2 Marine ecology Stable isotopes in ecological research Predatory marine animals--Ecology Top predators--Ecology |
spellingShingle |
QH541.5S3H2 Marine ecology Stable isotopes in ecological research Predatory marine animals--Ecology Top predators--Ecology Hanson, Nora Nell Examining the response of top marine predators to ecological change using stable isotope proxies |
topic_facet |
QH541.5S3H2 Marine ecology Stable isotopes in ecological research Predatory marine animals--Ecology Top predators--Ecology |
description |
Monitoring the response of upper trophic level animals to ecological change is important to understanding the state and stability of ecosystems. Marine predators integrate information over large geographical scales and are relatively long-lived; furthermore, many of these organisms are restricted to terrestrial or freshwater habitats at certain times during their life history and are accessible to researchers. This thesis investigated the response of marine predators to ecological change at a variety of spatial and temporal scales using stable isotope ratio methods with the aims of developing meaningful proxies, or indices, of variability in marine ecosystems. The first study explored the intrinsic (i.e. ontogenetic) and extrinsic (i.e. environmental) factors important to modulating variation in the stable isotope ratios of C and N in tooth dentin of male Antarctic fur seals (Arctocephalus gazella) in the Southern Ocean. In the second study, long-term records of variation in δ¹⁵N and δ¹³C values of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) scales and grey seal (Halichoerus grypus) tooth dentin provided evidence for large-scale climate forcing across the eastern North Atlantic. In the following study, a more detailed examination of intra- and inter-individual stable isotope variation in Atlantic salmon within a single year was undertaken in an attempt to better understand recent declines in somatic condition of these fish. The last two studies were concerned with the development of high resolution sampling of fish otoliths using secondary mass spectrometry (SIMS) and the application of this technique to reconstructing the thermal and metabolic histories of individual Atlantic salmon from intra-otolith δ¹³C and δ¹⁸O values. Stable isotope proxies can be used to document shifts in trophic dynamics and animal movement that may be associated with ecological change. Using multiple tissues, elements and species, such studies provide unique monitoring tools at a range of spatial and temporal scales. |
author2 |
Boyd, Ian Todd, Christopher David |
format |
Doctoral or Postdoctoral Thesis |
author |
Hanson, Nora Nell |
author_facet |
Hanson, Nora Nell |
author_sort |
Hanson, Nora Nell |
title |
Examining the response of top marine predators to ecological change using stable isotope proxies |
title_short |
Examining the response of top marine predators to ecological change using stable isotope proxies |
title_full |
Examining the response of top marine predators to ecological change using stable isotope proxies |
title_fullStr |
Examining the response of top marine predators to ecological change using stable isotope proxies |
title_full_unstemmed |
Examining the response of top marine predators to ecological change using stable isotope proxies |
title_sort |
examining the response of top marine predators to ecological change using stable isotope proxies |
publisher |
University of St Andrews |
publishDate |
2012 |
url |
http://hdl.handle.net/10023/3221 |
op_coverage |
172 |
geographic |
Antarctic Southern Ocean |
geographic_facet |
Antarctic Southern Ocean |
genre |
Antarc* Antarctic Antarctic Fur Seals Arctocephalus gazella Atlantic salmon North Atlantic Salmo salar Southern Ocean |
genre_facet |
Antarc* Antarctic Antarctic Fur Seals Arctocephalus gazella Atlantic salmon North Atlantic Salmo salar Southern Ocean |
op_relation |
uk.bl.ethos.558145 http://hdl.handle.net/10023/3221 |
_version_ |
1770274391848910848 |