Compound-specific isotope analyses of harp seal teeth:tools for trophic ecology reconstruction
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 r...
Published in: | Marine Ecology Progress Series |
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Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , |
Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
Language: | English |
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2021
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Online Access: | https://risweb.st-andrews.ac.uk/portal/en/researchoutput/compoundspecific-isotope-analyses-of-harp-seal-teeth(f7d979da-4afd-4065-9527-7dc180a0d25e).html https://doi.org/10.3354/meps13867 http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85125440502&partnerID=8YFLogxK |
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ftunstandrewcris:oai:risweb.st-andrews.ac.uk:publications/f7d979da-4afd-4065-9527-7dc180a0d25e 2023-05-15T16:33:44+02:00 Compound-specific isotope analyses of harp seal teeth:tools for trophic ecology reconstruction Kershaw, J. L. De la Vega, C. Jeffreys, R. M. Frie, A. K. Haug, T. Mahaffey, C. Mettam, C. Stenson, G. Smout, S. 2021 https://risweb.st-andrews.ac.uk/portal/en/researchoutput/compoundspecific-isotope-analyses-of-harp-seal-teeth(f7d979da-4afd-4065-9527-7dc180a0d25e).html https://doi.org/10.3354/meps13867 http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85125440502&partnerID=8YFLogxK eng eng info:eu-repo/semantics/restrictedAccess Kershaw , J L , De la Vega , C , Jeffreys , R M , Frie , A K , Haug , T , Mahaffey , C , Mettam , C , Stenson , G & Smout , S 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 Dentine Diet Foraging specialization Inert tissues Isotopic niche Phocid seals Trophic position article 2021 ftunstandrewcris https://doi.org/10.3354/meps13867 2022-06-02T07:54:42Z 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 the 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 withinindividual variability was low, suggesting that they fed at the same trophic level over these 2 yr of life. These novel δ15NAA data may therefore suggest individual, specialist harp seal foraging be - haviour 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. Article in Journal/Newspaper Harp Seal Northwest Atlantic Pagophilus groenlandicus University of St Andrews: Research Portal Marine Ecology Progress Series 678 211 225 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
University of St Andrews: Research Portal |
op_collection_id |
ftunstandrewcris |
language |
English |
topic |
Dentine Diet Foraging specialization Inert tissues Isotopic niche Phocid seals Trophic position |
spellingShingle |
Dentine Diet Foraging specialization Inert tissues Isotopic niche Phocid seals Trophic position Kershaw, J. L. De la Vega, C. Jeffreys, R. M. Frie, A. K. Haug, T. Mahaffey, C. Mettam, C. Stenson, G. Smout, S. Compound-specific isotope analyses of harp seal teeth:tools for trophic ecology reconstruction |
topic_facet |
Dentine Diet Foraging specialization Inert tissues Isotopic niche Phocid seals Trophic position |
description |
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 the 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 withinindividual variability was low, suggesting that they fed at the same trophic level over these 2 yr of life. These novel δ15NAA data may therefore suggest individual, specialist harp seal foraging be - haviour 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. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Kershaw, J. L. De la Vega, C. Jeffreys, R. M. Frie, A. K. Haug, T. Mahaffey, C. Mettam, C. Stenson, G. Smout, S. |
author_facet |
Kershaw, J. L. De la Vega, C. Jeffreys, R. M. Frie, A. K. Haug, T. Mahaffey, C. Mettam, C. Stenson, G. Smout, S. |
author_sort |
Kershaw, J. L. |
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 |
2021 |
url |
https://risweb.st-andrews.ac.uk/portal/en/researchoutput/compoundspecific-isotope-analyses-of-harp-seal-teeth(f7d979da-4afd-4065-9527-7dc180a0d25e).html https://doi.org/10.3354/meps13867 http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85125440502&partnerID=8YFLogxK |
genre |
Harp Seal Northwest Atlantic Pagophilus groenlandicus |
genre_facet |
Harp Seal Northwest Atlantic Pagophilus groenlandicus |
op_source |
Kershaw , J L , De la Vega , C , Jeffreys , R M , Frie , A K , Haug , T , Mahaffey , C , Mettam , C , Stenson , G & Smout , S 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 |
op_rights |
info:eu-repo/semantics/restrictedAccess |
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_ |
1766023416435965952 |