Vertical stratification of fatty acids in the blubber of southern elephant seals (Mirounga leonina): implications for diet analysis
Copyright © 2002 Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved. Fatty acid signature analysis (FASA) is a powerful ecological tool that uses essential fatty acids (FA) from the tissues of animals to indicate aspects of diet. However, the presence of vertical stratification in FA distribution throughout...
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ftunivadelaidedl:oai:digital.library.adelaide.edu.au:2440/48208 2023-05-15T16:05:23+02:00 Vertical stratification of fatty acids in the blubber of southern elephant seals (Mirounga leonina): implications for diet analysis Best, N. Bradshaw, C. Hindell, M. Nichols, P. 2003 http://hdl.handle.net/2440/48208 https://doi.org/10.1016/S1096-4959(02)00252-X en eng Elsevier Inc. Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology B: Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 2003; 134(2):253-263 1096-4959 0305-0491 http://hdl.handle.net/2440/48208 doi:10.1016/S1096-4959(02)00252-X Bradshaw, C. [0000-0002-5328-7741] Phocid Pinniped Blubber Fatty acid signature analysis Diet composition Southern elephant seal Stratification Insulation Journal article 2003 ftunivadelaidedl https://doi.org/10.1016/S1096-4959(02)00252-X 2023-02-05T19:44:37Z Copyright © 2002 Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved. Fatty acid signature analysis (FASA) is a powerful ecological tool that uses essential fatty acids (FA) from the tissues of animals to indicate aspects of diet. However, the presence of vertical stratification in FA distribution throughout blubber complicates the application of FASA to marine mammals. Blubber biopsy samples were collected from adult female southern elephant seals (Mirounga leonina) from Macquarie Island (n=11), and blubber cores were divided into inner and outer sections to determine the degree to which the blubber layer was stratified in FA composition, we found 19 FA from both blubber layers in greater than trace amounts (>0.5%). The inner and outer blubber layers could be separated using principal components analysis based on the relative proportion of FA in each layer. Dietary polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) were also observed in significantly higher proportions in the inner blubber layer. Due to the degree of FA stratification in southern elephant seals, we concur with other marine mammal studies that sampling only the outer blubber layer will result in a loss of recently accumulated information regarding diet structure (as indicated by ‘surplus’ PUFA from the diet). This finding suggests that differential mobilization/deposition of certain FA may result in a modified signature from prey to predator. Thus, sampling animals to recover the inner blubber layer is important for studies attempting to describe aspects of marine mammal diet. This can be achieved in animals such as pinnipeds where the whole blubber layer can be readily sampled Narelle J. Best, Corey J. A. Bradshaw, Mark A. Hindell and Peter D. Nichols http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/journaldescription.cws_home/525465/description#description Article in Journal/Newspaper Elephant Seal Elephant Seals Macquarie Island Mirounga leonina Southern Elephant Seal Southern Elephant Seals The University of Adelaide: Digital Library Bradshaw ENVELOPE(163.867,163.867,-71.467,-71.467) Corey ENVELOPE(-145.133,-145.133,-76.667,-76.667) Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part B: Biochemistry and Molecular Biology 134 2 253 263 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
The University of Adelaide: Digital Library |
op_collection_id |
ftunivadelaidedl |
language |
English |
topic |
Phocid Pinniped Blubber Fatty acid signature analysis Diet composition Southern elephant seal Stratification Insulation |
spellingShingle |
Phocid Pinniped Blubber Fatty acid signature analysis Diet composition Southern elephant seal Stratification Insulation Best, N. Bradshaw, C. Hindell, M. Nichols, P. Vertical stratification of fatty acids in the blubber of southern elephant seals (Mirounga leonina): implications for diet analysis |
topic_facet |
Phocid Pinniped Blubber Fatty acid signature analysis Diet composition Southern elephant seal Stratification Insulation |
description |
Copyright © 2002 Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved. Fatty acid signature analysis (FASA) is a powerful ecological tool that uses essential fatty acids (FA) from the tissues of animals to indicate aspects of diet. However, the presence of vertical stratification in FA distribution throughout blubber complicates the application of FASA to marine mammals. Blubber biopsy samples were collected from adult female southern elephant seals (Mirounga leonina) from Macquarie Island (n=11), and blubber cores were divided into inner and outer sections to determine the degree to which the blubber layer was stratified in FA composition, we found 19 FA from both blubber layers in greater than trace amounts (>0.5%). The inner and outer blubber layers could be separated using principal components analysis based on the relative proportion of FA in each layer. Dietary polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) were also observed in significantly higher proportions in the inner blubber layer. Due to the degree of FA stratification in southern elephant seals, we concur with other marine mammal studies that sampling only the outer blubber layer will result in a loss of recently accumulated information regarding diet structure (as indicated by ‘surplus’ PUFA from the diet). This finding suggests that differential mobilization/deposition of certain FA may result in a modified signature from prey to predator. Thus, sampling animals to recover the inner blubber layer is important for studies attempting to describe aspects of marine mammal diet. This can be achieved in animals such as pinnipeds where the whole blubber layer can be readily sampled Narelle J. Best, Corey J. A. Bradshaw, Mark A. Hindell and Peter D. Nichols http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/journaldescription.cws_home/525465/description#description |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Best, N. Bradshaw, C. Hindell, M. Nichols, P. |
author_facet |
Best, N. Bradshaw, C. Hindell, M. Nichols, P. |
author_sort |
Best, N. |
title |
Vertical stratification of fatty acids in the blubber of southern elephant seals (Mirounga leonina): implications for diet analysis |
title_short |
Vertical stratification of fatty acids in the blubber of southern elephant seals (Mirounga leonina): implications for diet analysis |
title_full |
Vertical stratification of fatty acids in the blubber of southern elephant seals (Mirounga leonina): implications for diet analysis |
title_fullStr |
Vertical stratification of fatty acids in the blubber of southern elephant seals (Mirounga leonina): implications for diet analysis |
title_full_unstemmed |
Vertical stratification of fatty acids in the blubber of southern elephant seals (Mirounga leonina): implications for diet analysis |
title_sort |
vertical stratification of fatty acids in the blubber of southern elephant seals (mirounga leonina): implications for diet analysis |
publisher |
Elsevier Inc. |
publishDate |
2003 |
url |
http://hdl.handle.net/2440/48208 https://doi.org/10.1016/S1096-4959(02)00252-X |
long_lat |
ENVELOPE(163.867,163.867,-71.467,-71.467) ENVELOPE(-145.133,-145.133,-76.667,-76.667) |
geographic |
Bradshaw Corey |
geographic_facet |
Bradshaw Corey |
genre |
Elephant Seal Elephant Seals Macquarie Island Mirounga leonina Southern Elephant Seal Southern Elephant Seals |
genre_facet |
Elephant Seal Elephant Seals Macquarie Island Mirounga leonina Southern Elephant Seal Southern Elephant Seals |
op_relation |
Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology B: Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 2003; 134(2):253-263 1096-4959 0305-0491 http://hdl.handle.net/2440/48208 doi:10.1016/S1096-4959(02)00252-X Bradshaw, C. [0000-0002-5328-7741] |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1016/S1096-4959(02)00252-X |
container_title |
Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part B: Biochemistry and Molecular Biology |
container_volume |
134 |
container_issue |
2 |
container_start_page |
253 |
op_container_end_page |
263 |
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1766401275438563328 |