Ice-algal carbon supports harp and ringed seal diets in the European Arctic: evidence from fatty acid and stable isotope markers

Author:

Kunisch EH1,Graeve M2,Gradinger R1,Haug T3,Kovacs KM4,Lydersen C4,Varpe Ø56,Bluhm BA1

Affiliation:

1. Department of Arctic and Marine Biology, UiT The Arctic University of Norway, 9037 Tromsø, Norway

2. Ecological Chemistry, Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Center for Polar and Marine Research, 27570 Bremerhaven, Germany

3. Institute of Marine Research, Fram Centre, 9296 Tromsø, Norway

4. Norwegian Polar Institute, Fram Centre, 9296 Tromsø, Norway

5. Department of Biological Sciences, University of Bergen, 5020 Bergen, Norway

6. Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, 5006 Bergen, Norway

Abstract

Sea-ice declines in the European Arctic have led to substantial changes in marine food webs. To better understand the biological implications of these changes, we quantified the contributions of ice-associated and pelagic carbon sources to the diets of Arctic harp and ringed seals using compound-specific stable isotope ratios of fatty acids in specific primary producer biomarkers derived from sea-ice algae and phytoplankton. Comparison of fatty acid patterns between these 2 seal species indicated clear dietary separation, while the compound-specific stable isotope ratios of the same fatty acids showed partial overlap. These findings suggest that harp and ringed seals target different prey sources, yet their prey rely on ice and pelagic primary production in similar ways. From Bayesian stable isotope mixing models, we estimated that relative contributions of sympagic and pelagic carbon in seal blubber was an average of 69% and 31% for harp seals, and 72% and 28% for ringed seals, respectively. The similarity in the Bayesian estimations also indicates overlapping carbon sourcing by these 2 species. Our findings demonstrate that the seasonal ice-associated carbon pathway contributes substantially to the diets of both harp and ringed seals.

Publisher

Inter-Research Science Center

Subject

Ecology,Aquatic Science,Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics

Cited by 13 articles. 订阅此论文施引文献 订阅此论文施引文献,注册后可以免费订阅5篇论文的施引文献,订阅后可以查看论文全部施引文献

同舟云学术

1.学者识别学者识别

2.学术分析学术分析

3.人才评估人才评估

"同舟云学术"是以全球学者为主线,采集、加工和组织学术论文而形成的新型学术文献查询和分析系统,可以对全球学者进行文献检索和人才价值评估。用户可以通过关注某些学科领域的顶尖人物而持续追踪该领域的学科进展和研究前沿。经过近期的数据扩容,当前同舟云学术共收录了国内外主流学术期刊6万余种,收集的期刊论文及会议论文总量共计约1.5亿篇,并以每天添加12000余篇中外论文的速度递增。我们也可以为用户提供个性化、定制化的学者数据。欢迎来电咨询!咨询电话:010-8811{复制后删除}0370

www.globalauthorid.com

TOP

Copyright © 2019-2024 北京同舟云网络信息技术有限公司
京公网安备11010802033243号  京ICP备18003416号-3