Stable isotope ratios in bentho-demersal biota along a depth gradient in the Bay of Biscay: A multitrophic study

00003 ăWOS:000381531600019 International audience Although stable isotope ratios are increasingly used to investigate the trophic ecology of marine organisms, their spatial variations are still poorly understood in the coastal environment. In this study, we measured the stable isotope composition (d...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science
Main Authors: Schaal, Gauthier, Nérot, Caroline, Grall, Jacques, Chouvelon, Tiphaine, Lorrain, Anne, Mortillaro, Jean-Michel, Savoye, Nicolas, Brind'Amour, Anik, Paulet, Yves-Marie, Le Bris, Hervé
Other Authors: Laboratoire des Sciences de l'Environnement Marin (LEMAR) (LEMAR), Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)-Institut Français de Recherche pour l'Exploitation de la Mer (IFREMER)-Université de Brest (UBO)-Institut Universitaire Européen de la Mer (IUEM), Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Université de Brest (UBO)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Université de Brest (UBO)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Institut Universitaire Européen de la Mer (IUEM), Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Université de Brest (UBO)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), LIttoral ENvironnement et Sociétés (LIENSs), La Rochelle Université (ULR)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Unité Écologie et Modèles pour l'Halieutique (EMH), Institut Français de Recherche pour l'Exploitation de la Mer (IFREMER), Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD), Écologie et santé des écosystèmes (ESE), Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement (INRAE)-INSTITUT AGRO Agrocampus Ouest, Institut national d'enseignement supérieur pour l'agriculture, l'alimentation et l'environnement (Institut Agro)-Institut national d'enseignement supérieur pour l'agriculture, l'alimentation et l'environnement (Institut Agro), Environnements et Paléoenvironnements OCéaniques (EPOC), Observatoire aquitain des sciences de l'univers (OASU), Université Sciences et Technologies - Bordeaux 1 (UB)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université Sciences et Technologies - Bordeaux 1 (UB)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-École Pratique des Hautes Études (EPHE), Université Paris Sciences et Lettres (PSL)-Université Paris Sciences et Lettres (PSL)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: HAL CCSD 2016
Subjects:
ACL
Online Access:https://hal.science/hal-01483199
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecss.2015.10.023
Description
Summary:00003 ăWOS:000381531600019 International audience Although stable isotope ratios are increasingly used to investigate the trophic ecology of marine organisms, their spatial variations are still poorly understood in the coastal environment. In this study, we measured the stable isotope composition (delta C-13, delta N-15) of suspended particulate organic matter (SPOM) (primary producer), a suspension feeder, the great scallop Pecten maximus (primary consumer), megabenthic decapods and benthic fishes (secondary consumers) along a depth gradient (from 5 m to 155 m depth) across the continental shelf of the Bay of Biscay. Although the three trophic levels exhibited similar delta C-13 patterns along the gradient, the delta N-15 patterns varied between SPOM, scallops and carnivores. The delta N-15 difference between SPOM and scallops decreased with increasing depth, suggesting that non trophic factors may affect the stable isotope composition of scallops at deepest sampling stations. An opposed trend was found between scallops and carnivores, suggesting that the trophic level of these carnivores increased at higher depth, possibly as an adaptation to lower prey abundances. Although our results suggest that primary consumers are suitable to establish isotopic baselines in coastal environments, we stress the need for further studies aiming at characterizing the variability of stable isotopes in coastal biota, and the respective effects of baseline, trophic and metabolic factors in their isotopic composition.