Fatty acid signature analysis from the milk of Antarctic fur seals and southern elephant seals from South Georgia: implications for diet determination
Fatty acid signature analysis (FASA) makes use of specific fatty acids, as well as entire profiles, to study dietary relationships at different trophic levels. Previously, FASA has been used in marine ecosystems in which diet determination by more direct methods is difficult and sometimes misleading...
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1999
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Online Access: | https://risweb.st-andrews.ac.uk/portal/en/researchoutput/fatty-acid-signature-analysis-from-the-milk-of-antarctic-fur-seals-and-southern-elephant-seals-from-south-georgia-implications-for-diet-determination(4a98bd98-6d63-42c4-944c-f628a50bf6db).html http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0033554580&partnerID=8YFLogxK |
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ftunstandrewcris:oai:risweb.st-andrews.ac.uk:publications/4a98bd98-6d63-42c4-944c-f628a50bf6db 2023-05-15T13:19:56+02:00 Fatty acid signature analysis from the milk of Antarctic fur seals and southern elephant seals from South Georgia: implications for diet determination Brown, DJ Boyd, Ian Lamont Cripps, GC Butler, PJ 1999 https://risweb.st-andrews.ac.uk/portal/en/researchoutput/fatty-acid-signature-analysis-from-the-milk-of-antarctic-fur-seals-and-southern-elephant-seals-from-south-georgia-implications-for-diet-determination(4a98bd98-6d63-42c4-944c-f628a50bf6db).html http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0033554580&partnerID=8YFLogxK eng eng info:eu-repo/semantics/restrictedAccess Brown , DJ , Boyd , I L , Cripps , GC & Butler , PJ 1999 , ' Fatty acid signature analysis from the milk of Antarctic fur seals and southern elephant seals from South Georgia: implications for diet determination ' , Marine Ecology Progress Series , vol. 187 , pp. 251-263 . fur seal elephant seal diet foraging Southern Ocean milk fatty acids South Georgia ARCTOCEPHALUS-GAZELLA PETERS MIROUNGA-LEONINA L DIVING BEHAVIOR BIRD-ISLAND BREEDING-SEASON ALOPEX-LAGOPUS WEDDELL SEALS HEARD ISLAND HARBOR SEALS LACTATION article 1999 ftunstandrewcris 2021-12-26T14:10:39Z Fatty acid signature analysis (FASA) makes use of specific fatty acids, as well as entire profiles, to study dietary relationships at different trophic levels. Previously, FASA has been used in marine ecosystems in which diet determination by more direct methods is difficult and sometimes misleading. This study examined fatty acid profiles in milk from 2 species of pinniped from the Southern Ocean that were expected to have highly contrasting diets. Milk samples were collected from Antarctic fur seals Arctocephalus gazella in 3 consecutive years, from 1991 to 1993 (n = 72), and from Southern elephant seals Mirounga leonina in 1988 (n = 53) at South Georgia. Lipids were extracted and fatty acid profiles determined by temperature-programmed gas chromatography. Possible prey species collected from waters around South Georgia were also analysed. Cluster analysis as well as classification and regression trees (CART) indicated that profiles from fur seals and elephant seals were significantly different. Southern elephant seal data could be distinguished from Antarctic fur seals by lower levels of the fatty acids 16:4 n1, 18:2 n6, 18:4 n3, 18:4 nl and 20:5 n3 and by higher levels of 18:0, 18:1 n9/ n11 (i.e. 18:1 n9 co-eluting with 18:1 n11) and 20:1 n9. Fatty acid signatures from the milk of Antarctic fur seals were closest to krill and fish species that were also known to feed on krill. Southern elephant seal fatty acid profiles were closest to species that are not known as krill predators such as larger notothenids and myctophids. The fatty acid profiles of Antarctic fur seals showed considerable inter-and intra-annual variability, which was congruent with diet variability detected using seat analyses. Southern elephant seals showed little variation in profile through lactation. In contrast to previous diet analyses based on examination of stomach contents, the results from FASA were consistent with a fish-based diet for Southern elephant seals. Article in Journal/Newspaper Alopex lagopus Antarc* Antarctic Antarctic Fur Seals Arctocephalus gazella Bird Island Elephant Seal Elephant Seals Heard Island Mirounga leonina Southern Elephant Seal Southern Elephant Seals Southern Ocean Weddell Seals University of St Andrews: Research Portal Antarctic Bird Island ENVELOPE(-38.060,-38.060,-54.004,-54.004) Heard Island Island Harbor ENVELOPE(70.067,70.067,-49.483,-49.483) Southern Ocean Weddell |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
University of St Andrews: Research Portal |
op_collection_id |
ftunstandrewcris |
language |
English |
topic |
fur seal elephant seal diet foraging Southern Ocean milk fatty acids South Georgia ARCTOCEPHALUS-GAZELLA PETERS MIROUNGA-LEONINA L DIVING BEHAVIOR BIRD-ISLAND BREEDING-SEASON ALOPEX-LAGOPUS WEDDELL SEALS HEARD ISLAND HARBOR SEALS LACTATION |
spellingShingle |
fur seal elephant seal diet foraging Southern Ocean milk fatty acids South Georgia ARCTOCEPHALUS-GAZELLA PETERS MIROUNGA-LEONINA L DIVING BEHAVIOR BIRD-ISLAND BREEDING-SEASON ALOPEX-LAGOPUS WEDDELL SEALS HEARD ISLAND HARBOR SEALS LACTATION Brown, DJ Boyd, Ian Lamont Cripps, GC Butler, PJ Fatty acid signature analysis from the milk of Antarctic fur seals and southern elephant seals from South Georgia: implications for diet determination |
topic_facet |
fur seal elephant seal diet foraging Southern Ocean milk fatty acids South Georgia ARCTOCEPHALUS-GAZELLA PETERS MIROUNGA-LEONINA L DIVING BEHAVIOR BIRD-ISLAND BREEDING-SEASON ALOPEX-LAGOPUS WEDDELL SEALS HEARD ISLAND HARBOR SEALS LACTATION |
description |
Fatty acid signature analysis (FASA) makes use of specific fatty acids, as well as entire profiles, to study dietary relationships at different trophic levels. Previously, FASA has been used in marine ecosystems in which diet determination by more direct methods is difficult and sometimes misleading. This study examined fatty acid profiles in milk from 2 species of pinniped from the Southern Ocean that were expected to have highly contrasting diets. Milk samples were collected from Antarctic fur seals Arctocephalus gazella in 3 consecutive years, from 1991 to 1993 (n = 72), and from Southern elephant seals Mirounga leonina in 1988 (n = 53) at South Georgia. Lipids were extracted and fatty acid profiles determined by temperature-programmed gas chromatography. Possible prey species collected from waters around South Georgia were also analysed. Cluster analysis as well as classification and regression trees (CART) indicated that profiles from fur seals and elephant seals were significantly different. Southern elephant seal data could be distinguished from Antarctic fur seals by lower levels of the fatty acids 16:4 n1, 18:2 n6, 18:4 n3, 18:4 nl and 20:5 n3 and by higher levels of 18:0, 18:1 n9/ n11 (i.e. 18:1 n9 co-eluting with 18:1 n11) and 20:1 n9. Fatty acid signatures from the milk of Antarctic fur seals were closest to krill and fish species that were also known to feed on krill. Southern elephant seal fatty acid profiles were closest to species that are not known as krill predators such as larger notothenids and myctophids. The fatty acid profiles of Antarctic fur seals showed considerable inter-and intra-annual variability, which was congruent with diet variability detected using seat analyses. Southern elephant seals showed little variation in profile through lactation. In contrast to previous diet analyses based on examination of stomach contents, the results from FASA were consistent with a fish-based diet for Southern elephant seals. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Brown, DJ Boyd, Ian Lamont Cripps, GC Butler, PJ |
author_facet |
Brown, DJ Boyd, Ian Lamont Cripps, GC Butler, PJ |
author_sort |
Brown, DJ |
title |
Fatty acid signature analysis from the milk of Antarctic fur seals and southern elephant seals from South Georgia: implications for diet determination |
title_short |
Fatty acid signature analysis from the milk of Antarctic fur seals and southern elephant seals from South Georgia: implications for diet determination |
title_full |
Fatty acid signature analysis from the milk of Antarctic fur seals and southern elephant seals from South Georgia: implications for diet determination |
title_fullStr |
Fatty acid signature analysis from the milk of Antarctic fur seals and southern elephant seals from South Georgia: implications for diet determination |
title_full_unstemmed |
Fatty acid signature analysis from the milk of Antarctic fur seals and southern elephant seals from South Georgia: implications for diet determination |
title_sort |
fatty acid signature analysis from the milk of antarctic fur seals and southern elephant seals from south georgia: implications for diet determination |
publishDate |
1999 |
url |
https://risweb.st-andrews.ac.uk/portal/en/researchoutput/fatty-acid-signature-analysis-from-the-milk-of-antarctic-fur-seals-and-southern-elephant-seals-from-south-georgia-implications-for-diet-determination(4a98bd98-6d63-42c4-944c-f628a50bf6db).html http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0033554580&partnerID=8YFLogxK |
long_lat |
ENVELOPE(-38.060,-38.060,-54.004,-54.004) ENVELOPE(70.067,70.067,-49.483,-49.483) |
geographic |
Antarctic Bird Island Heard Island Island Harbor Southern Ocean Weddell |
geographic_facet |
Antarctic Bird Island Heard Island Island Harbor Southern Ocean Weddell |
genre |
Alopex lagopus Antarc* Antarctic Antarctic Fur Seals Arctocephalus gazella Bird Island Elephant Seal Elephant Seals Heard Island Mirounga leonina Southern Elephant Seal Southern Elephant Seals Southern Ocean Weddell Seals |
genre_facet |
Alopex lagopus Antarc* Antarctic Antarctic Fur Seals Arctocephalus gazella Bird Island Elephant Seal Elephant Seals Heard Island Mirounga leonina Southern Elephant Seal Southern Elephant Seals Southern Ocean Weddell Seals |
op_source |
Brown , DJ , Boyd , I L , Cripps , GC & Butler , PJ 1999 , ' Fatty acid signature analysis from the milk of Antarctic fur seals and southern elephant seals from South Georgia: implications for diet determination ' , Marine Ecology Progress Series , vol. 187 , pp. 251-263 . |
op_rights |
info:eu-repo/semantics/restrictedAccess |
_version_ |
1766350296796102656 |