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Agnetta D, Badalamenti F, Sweeting CJ, D'Anna G, Libralato S, Pipitone C. Erosion of fish trophic position: an indirect effect of fishing on food webs elucidated by stable isotopes. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2024; 379:20230167. [PMID: 39034698 PMCID: PMC11293850 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2023.0167] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2023] [Revised: 01/08/2024] [Accepted: 01/23/2024] [Indexed: 07/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Fishing has significant trophodynamic impacts on marine communities, including reductions in the mean trophic position (TP) of the ecosystem resulting from a decrease in the abundance and size of species and individuals with high TPs. This study demonstrates the erosion of fish TP, an additional process that results in lower TP of individuals of a given size, which may exacerbate the effects of fishing on the food web. A stable isotope approach based on the tRophicPosition Bayesian method was used to quantify the TP of 12 target marine species at a given length, and compare their TP between fishery-restricted areas and trawled areas. The results show a difference in the TP of six benthic and apical nekto-benthic predators, which feed in the median at about 0.5 TP lower in trawled areas. It appears that current 'fishing down marine food webs' analyses may underestimate the trophic effects of fishing. Accounting for changes in trophodynamics of individuals at a given size is important to detect indirect effects through food web interactions. The application of a trawling ban may lead to the restoration of lost trophic structure; however, trophic changes may occur more slowly than changes in biomass. This article is part of the theme issue 'Connected interactions: enriching food web research by spatial and social interactions'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Davide Agnetta
- National Institute of Oceanography and Applied Geophysics (OGS), Trieste34151, Italy
- NBFC, National Biodiversity Future Center, Palermo90133, Italy
| | - Fabio Badalamenti
- NBFC, National Biodiversity Future Center, Palermo90133, Italy
- CNR-IAS, Lungomare Cristoforo Colombo 4521, Palermo90149, Italy
- School of Geosciences, University of Edinburgh, The King’s Buildings, EdinburghEH9 3FE, UK
| | - Christopher J. Sweeting
- Marine Management Organisation Lancaster House, Newcastle Business Park, Newcastle Upon TyneNE4 7YH, UK
| | - Giovanni D'Anna
- NBFC, National Biodiversity Future Center, Palermo90133, Italy
- CNR-IAS, Via Giovanni da Verrazzano 17, Castellammare91014, Italy
| | - Simone Libralato
- National Institute of Oceanography and Applied Geophysics (OGS), Trieste34151, Italy
| | - Carlo Pipitone
- NBFC, National Biodiversity Future Center, Palermo90133, Italy
- CNR-IAS, Lungomare Cristoforo Colombo 4521, Palermo90149, Italy
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De Giorgi R, Bardelli R, Cilenti L, Falco S, Fanizzi FP, Guerra MT, Katselis G, Kevrekidis K, Mancini F, Doria L, Marchini A, Migoni D, Papadia P, Vizzini S, Mancinelli G. Opportunistic omnivory impairs the use of the Atlantic blue crab Callinectes sapidus as a trace metal biomonitor in invaded Mediterranean coastal waters. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2024; 206:116715. [PMID: 39024910 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2024.116715] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2024] [Revised: 07/06/2024] [Accepted: 07/07/2024] [Indexed: 07/20/2024]
Abstract
The contribution of non-indigenous species to the transfer of contaminants in invaded food webs represents an active research area. Here we measured trace metals and CN stable isotopes in five populations of the invasive Atlantic blue crab Callinectes sapidus and in baseline bivalve species from Spain, Italy and Greece. They were used to estimate trophic transfer effects and the trophic position and isotopic niche of C. sapidus. Maximum trophic transfer effects occurred where the crab showed the largest isotopic niches and highest trophic positions; furthermore, the consistency of trace metal profiles between bivalves and crabs co-varied with the trophic position of the latters. Omnivory may influence the success of an invasive species, but also limit its effectiveness for biomonitoring. However, our results indicated that stable isotopes analysis provides a clarifying background where to cast patterns of contamination of the blue crab as well as of other omnivorous biomonitor species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raffaele De Giorgi
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences and Technologies (DiSTeBA), University of Salento, 73100 Lecce, Italy; NBFC, National Biodiversity Future Center, 90133 Palermo, Italy
| | - Roberta Bardelli
- Department of Earth and Marine Sciences, University of Palermo, 90133 Palermo, Italy
| | - Lucrezia Cilenti
- National Research Council (CNR), Institute of Sciences of Food Production (ISPA), 71121 Foggia, Italy
| | - Silvia Falco
- Institut d'Investigació per a la Gestió Integrada de zones Costaneres (IGIC), Universitat Politècnica de València, Grau de Gandia, 46730 València, Spain
| | - Francesco Paolo Fanizzi
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences and Technologies (DiSTeBA), University of Salento, 73100 Lecce, Italy; NBFC, National Biodiversity Future Center, 90133 Palermo, Italy
| | - Maria Teresa Guerra
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences and Technologies (DiSTeBA), University of Salento, 73100 Lecce, Italy
| | - George Katselis
- Department of Animal production, Fishery & Aquaculture, University of Patras, 30200 Messolonghi, Greece
| | - Kosmas Kevrekidis
- Decentralized Administration of Macedonia-Thrace, Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture, Kalamaria, GR-551 31 Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Francesco Mancini
- International Centre for Advanced Mediterranean Agronomic Studies (CIHEAM-Bari), 70010 Valenzano (BA), Italy
| | - Lorenzo Doria
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences and Technologies (DiSTeBA), University of Salento, 73100 Lecce, Italy
| | - Agnese Marchini
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Pavia, 27100 Pavia, Italy
| | - Danilo Migoni
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences and Technologies (DiSTeBA), University of Salento, 73100 Lecce, Italy; NBFC, National Biodiversity Future Center, 90133 Palermo, Italy
| | - Paride Papadia
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences and Technologies (DiSTeBA), University of Salento, 73100 Lecce, Italy; NBFC, National Biodiversity Future Center, 90133 Palermo, Italy
| | - Salvatrice Vizzini
- Department of Earth and Marine Sciences, University of Palermo, 90133 Palermo, Italy; CoNISMa, National Inter-University Consortium for Marine Sciences, 00196 Roma, Italy
| | - Giorgio Mancinelli
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences and Technologies (DiSTeBA), University of Salento, 73100 Lecce, Italy; NBFC, National Biodiversity Future Center, 90133 Palermo, Italy; CoNISMa, National Inter-University Consortium for Marine Sciences, 00196 Roma, Italy.
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Toutain M, Belouard N, Renault D, Haubrock PJ, Kurtul I, Aksu S, Emiroğlu Ö, Kouba A, Tarkan AS, Balzani P. Assessing the role of non-native species and artificial water bodies on the trophic and functional niche of Mediterranean freshwater fish communities. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 938:173520. [PMID: 38810734 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.173520] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2024] [Revised: 05/14/2024] [Accepted: 05/24/2024] [Indexed: 05/31/2024]
Abstract
Habitat alterations and the introduction of non-native species have many ecological impacts, including the loss of biodiversity and a deterioration of ecosystem functioning. The effects of these combined stressors on the community trophic web and functional niche are, however, not completely clear. Here, we investigated how artificial ecosystems (i.e. reservoirs) and non-native species may influence the trophic and functional niche space of freshwater fish communities. To do so, we used carbon and nitrogen stable isotope and abundance data to compute a set of isotopic, trait, and functional metrics for 13 fish communities sampled from 12 distinct ecosystems in Türkiye. We show that in reservoirs, fish were more similar in their trophic niche compared to lakes, where the trophic niche was more variable, due to higher habitat complexity. However, there were no differences in the trait and functional metrics between the two ecosystem types, suggesting a higher prey diversity than assumed in reservoirs. We also found that the number of non-native species did not affect the trophic niche space, nor the trait or functional space occupied by the fish community. This indicates that non-native species tended to overlap their trophic niche with native species, while occupying empty functional niches in the recipient community functional space. Similarly, the proportion of non-native species did not affect any trophic, trait, or functional metric, suggesting that changes in community composition were not reflected in changes in the community niche space. Moreover, we found that trait richness, but not functional richness, was positively related to the isotopic niche width and diversity, indicating that a wider occupied trait niche space corresponded with a wider occupied trophic niche and lesser interspecific similarity. Our findings underscore the complexity of ecological relationships within freshwater ecosystems and highlight the need for comprehensive management strategies to mitigate the impacts of human activities and biological invasions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mathieu Toutain
- Faculty of Fisheries and Protection of Waters, South Bohemian Research Center of Aquaculture and Biodiversity of Hydrocenoses, University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice, 389 25 Vodňany, Czech Republic; Université de Rennes, CNRS, ECOBIO [(Ecosystèmes, biodiversité, évolution)], 35000 Rennes, France.
| | - Nadège Belouard
- Université de Rennes, CNRS, ECOBIO [(Ecosystèmes, biodiversité, évolution)], 35000 Rennes, France
| | - David Renault
- Université de Rennes, CNRS, ECOBIO [(Ecosystèmes, biodiversité, évolution)], 35000 Rennes, France
| | - Phillip J Haubrock
- Faculty of Fisheries and Protection of Waters, South Bohemian Research Center of Aquaculture and Biodiversity of Hydrocenoses, University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice, 389 25 Vodňany, Czech Republic; Department of River Ecology and Conservation, Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum Frankfurt, 63571 Gelnhausen, Germany; CAMB, Center for Applied Mathematics and Bioinformatics, Gulf University for Science and Technology, Kuwait
| | - Irmak Kurtul
- Faculty of Fisheries, Ege University, Bornova 35100, İzmir, Türkiye; Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, Bournemouth University, Poole, Dorset, United Kingdom
| | - Sadi Aksu
- Vocational School of Health Services, Eskişehir Osmangazi University, Eskişehir, Türkiye
| | - Özgür Emiroğlu
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Arts and Sciences Eskişehir Osmangazi University, Eskişehir, Türkiye
| | - Antonín Kouba
- Faculty of Fisheries and Protection of Waters, South Bohemian Research Center of Aquaculture and Biodiversity of Hydrocenoses, University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice, 389 25 Vodňany, Czech Republic
| | - Ali Serhan Tarkan
- Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, Bournemouth University, Poole, Dorset, United Kingdom; Department of Ecology and Vertebrate Zoology, Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection, University of Lodz, Lodz, Poland; Department of Basic Sciences, Faculty of Fisheries, Muğla Sıtkı Koçman University, Muğla, Türkiye
| | - Paride Balzani
- Faculty of Fisheries and Protection of Waters, South Bohemian Research Center of Aquaculture and Biodiversity of Hydrocenoses, University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice, 389 25 Vodňany, Czech Republic.
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Quezada-Romegialli C, Quiroga-Carmona M, D’Elía G, Harrod C, Storz JF. Diet of Andean leaf-eared mice ( Phyllotis) living at extreme elevations on Atacama volcanoes: insights from metagenomics, DNA metabarcoding, and stable isotopes. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.07.23.604871. [PMID: 39091768 PMCID: PMC11291156 DOI: 10.1101/2024.07.23.604871] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/04/2024]
Abstract
On the flanks of >6000 m Andean volcanoes that tower over the Atacama Desert, leaf-eared mice (Phyllotis vaccarum) live at extreme elevations that surpass known vegetation limits. What the mice eat in these barren, hyperarid environments has been the subject of much speculation. According to the arthropod fallout hypothesis, sustenance is provided by windblown insects that accumulate in snowdrifts ('aolian deposits'). It is also possible that mice feed on saxicolous lichen or forms of cryptic vegetation that have yet to be discovered at such high elevations. We tested hypotheses about the diet of mice living at extreme elevations on Atacama volcanoes by combining metagenomic and DNA metabarcoding analyses of gut contents with stable-isotope analyses of mouse tissues. Genomic analyses of contents of the gastrointestinal tract of a live-captured mouse from the 6739 m summit of Volcán Llullaillaco revealed evidence for an opportunistic but purely herbivorous diet, including lichens. Although we found no evidence of animal DNA in gut contents of the summit mouse, stable isotope data indicate that mice native to elevations at or near vegetation limits (~5100 m) include a larger fraction of animal prey in their diet than mice from lower elevations. Some plant species detected in the gut contents of the summit mouse are known to exist at lower elevations at the base of the volcano and in the surrounding Altiplano, suggesting that such plants may occur at higher elevations beneath the snowpack or in other cryptic microhabitats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudio Quezada-Romegialli
- Plataforma de Monitoreo Genómico y Ambiental, Departamento de Química, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Tarapacá, Arica, Chile
| | - Marcial Quiroga-Carmona
- Instituto de Ciencias Ambientales y Evolutivas, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia, Chile
- Colección de Mamíferos, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Austral de Chile, Campus Isla Teja, Valdivia, Chile
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, Nebraska, USA
| | - Guillermo D’Elía
- Instituto de Ciencias Ambientales y Evolutivas, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia, Chile
- Colección de Mamíferos, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Austral de Chile, Campus Isla Teja, Valdivia, Chile
| | - Chris Harrod
- Instituto de Ciencias Naturales Alexander von Humboldt, Universidad de Antofagasta, Antofagasta, Chile
- Núcleo Milenio de Salmónidos Invasores Australes, INVASAL, Concepción, Chile
- Scottish Centre for Ecology and the Natural Environment, School of Biodiversity, One Health and Veterinary Medicine, University of Glasgow
| | - Jay F. Storz
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, Nebraska, USA
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Acosta-Pachón TA, López-Vivas JM, Mazariegos-Villarreal A, Méndez-Rodríguez LC, León-Cisneros K, Martínez-Rincón RO, Serviere-Zaragoza E. Trace metals pollution and trophic position of three sea urchin species in the Gulf of California. ECOTOXICOLOGY (LONDON, ENGLAND) 2024:10.1007/s10646-024-02778-4. [PMID: 38997499 DOI: 10.1007/s10646-024-02778-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/01/2024] [Indexed: 07/14/2024]
Abstract
Sea urchin species are ecologically important in the Gulf of California and are becoming popular as a local fishery due to their commercial value. The most abundant species are Echinometra vanbrunti, Eucidaris thouarsii, and Tripneustes depressus. The objective of this study was to evaluate cadmium, lead, copper, zinc, and iron concentrations, as well as stable isotope values in these sea urchin species in the Santa Rosalia mining area (STR), in three sites: Punta Gorda, Punta el Aterrizaje, and Punta Salina. The highest Fe concentration (100.2 mg kg-1) was found in E. vanbrunti, while the highest concentrations of Pb (15.1 mg kg-1), Cu (14.5 mg kg-1), and Zn (347.7 mg kg-1) were recorded in E. thouarsii, and the highest Cd concentration (10.8 mg kg-1) was found in T. depressus. The main health risk of trace metal pollution in STR may be caused by Cd and Pb. δ15N and δ13C values were higher in E. thouarsii and T. depressus, respectively; E. thouarsii has the highest trophic position. Specimen size was not related to metal concentrations, but a positive relationship was observed between specimen size and isotopic values in T. depressus. The three species showed different bioaccumulation patterns for the metals analyzed. Additionally, collection sites and seasons play an important role in the variability of metal concentration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tatiana A Acosta-Pachón
- Departamento Académico de Ciencias Marinas y Costeras, Universidad Autónoma de Baja California Sur (UABCS), Col. Universitario, La Paz, Mexico
| | - Juan Manuel López-Vivas
- Departamento Académico de Ciencias Marinas y Costeras, Universidad Autónoma de Baja California Sur (UABCS), Col. Universitario, La Paz, Mexico
| | | | | | - Karla León-Cisneros
- Departamento Académico de Ciencias Marinas y Costeras, Universidad Autónoma de Baja California Sur (UABCS), Col. Universitario, La Paz, Mexico
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Letourneur Y, Fey P, Dierking J, Galzin R, Parravicini V. Challenging trophic position assessments in complex ecosystems: Calculation method, choice of baseline, trophic enrichment factors, season and feeding guild do matter: A case study from Marquesas Islands coral reefs. Ecol Evol 2024; 14:e11620. [PMID: 38952648 PMCID: PMC11214970 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.11620] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2023] [Revised: 06/07/2024] [Accepted: 06/11/2024] [Indexed: 07/03/2024] Open
Abstract
Assessments of ecosystem functioning are a fundamental ecological challenge and an essential foundation for ecosystem-based management. Species trophic position (TP) is essential to characterize food web architecture. However, despite the intuitive nature of the concept, empirically estimating TP is a challenging task due to the complexity of trophic interaction networks. Various methods are proposed to assess TPs, including using different sources of organic matter at the base of the food web (the 'baseline'). However, it is often not clear which methodological approach and which baseline choices are the most reliable. Using an ecosystem-wide assessment of a tropical reef (Marquesas Islands, with available data for 70 coral reef invertebrate and fish species), we tested whether different commonly used TP estimation methods yield similar results and, if not, whether it is possible to identify the most reliable method. We found significant differences in TP estimates of up to 1.7 TPs for the same species, depending on the method and the baseline used. When using bulk stable isotope data, the choice of the baseline significantly impacted TP values. Indeed, while nitrogen stable isotope (δ15N) values of macroalgae led to consistent TP estimates, those using phytoplankton generated unrealistically low TP estimates. The use of a conventional enrichment factor (i.e. 3.4‰) or a 'variable' enrichment factor (i.e. according to feeding guilds) also produced clear discrepancies between TP estimates. TPs obtained with δ15N values of source amino acids (compound-specific isotope analysis) were close to those assessed with macroalgae. An opposite seasonal pattern was found, with significantly lower TPs in winter than in summer for most species, with particularly pronounced differences for lower TP species. We use the observed differences to discuss possible drivers of the diverging TP estimates and the potential ecological implications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yves Letourneur
- UMR ENTROPIE (UR‐IRD‐IFREMER‐CNRS‐UNC), Labex « Corail »Université de la Nouvelle‐CalédonieNouméa CedexNew Caledonia
| | - Pauline Fey
- UMR ENTROPIE (UR‐IRD‐IFREMER‐CNRS‐UNC), Labex « Corail »Université de la Nouvelle‐CalédonieNouméa CedexNew Caledonia
| | - Jan Dierking
- GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research KielResearch Division Marine EcologyKielGermany
| | - René Galzin
- CRIOBE, USR 3278 EPHE‐CNRS‐UPVD, LabEx « Corail », Université de PerpignanPSL Research UniversityPerpignan CedexFrance
| | - Valeriano Parravicini
- CRIOBE, USR 3278 EPHE‐CNRS‐UPVD, LabEx « Corail », Université de PerpignanPSL Research UniversityPerpignan CedexFrance
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Srinivas T, Sukumaran S, Ramesh Babu K. Resource utilisation and trophic niche overlap of coralline intertidal benthic amphipods: an isotopic perspective. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2024; 31:45636-45649. [PMID: 38970629 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-024-34040-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2023] [Accepted: 06/16/2024] [Indexed: 07/08/2024]
Abstract
Benthic amphipod feeding groups are a well-established trophic classification that is mostly based on field observations and laboratory tests and are used in ecological studies to monitor the ecological state of benthic ecosystems. Globally, carbon and nitrogen stable isotope ratio investigations have provided confirmation of, and novel insights into, the trophic ecology of benthic animals, such as polychaetes. However, stable isotopic examinations of benthic amphipods have been limited. Here, we used microgram samples to compare the species-specific dietary sources, trophic positions, and isotopic niche overlap of selected benthic amphipods from the Gulf of Kachchh, Marine National Park, using elemental analyser-isotopic ratio mass spectrometry (EA-IRMS) of carbon and nitrogen. Overall, all primary carbon sources presented wide variation in the isotopic values of δ13C (6.3‰) and δ15N (greater than 13‰). Conversely, the amphipod taxa displayed relatively narrow range for δ13C (3.9‰) and wider range for δ15N (more than 10‰). The results of the Bayesian mixing model revealed that the benthic amphipods had species-specific feeding preferences. However, the predominant carbon source was organic matter in sediment which reinforced benthic pathways for energy flow for most species. According to the estimated trophic level values (1.62-3.39), these species play a significant role as primary and secondary consumers serving as crucial trophic intermediaries in the food chain, connecting the base to the top consumers. High overlapping ecological niche amongst species was detected by SIBER analysis which indicated co-existence of the benthic amphipods in their respective microhabitats. This signifies wider utilisation of resources and inter-specific feeding preferences with minimal competition amongst amphipod species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tatiparthi Srinivas
- ICFRE-Coastal Ecosystem Centre, Institute of Forest Biodiversity, HPCL Colony, Pandurangapuram, Visakhapatnam, 530003, India
- CSIR-National Institute of Oceanography, Regional Centre, Andheri (W), Mumbai, 400053, India
| | - Soniya Sukumaran
- CSIR-National Institute of Oceanography, Regional Centre, Andheri (W), Mumbai, 400053, India.
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, 201002, India.
| | - Kondamudi Ramesh Babu
- Department of Marine Living Resources, College of Science and Technology, Andhra University, Visakhapatnam, 530003, India
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Gerstle V, Bollinger E, Manfrin A, Pietz S, Kolbenschlag S, Feckler A, Entling MH, Brühl CA. Trophic effects of Bti-based mosquito control on two top predators in floodplain pond mesocosms. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2024; 31:45485-45494. [PMID: 38967849 PMCID: PMC11269390 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-024-34124-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2024] [Accepted: 06/21/2024] [Indexed: 07/06/2024]
Abstract
Chironomid (Diptera: Chironomidae) larvae play a key role in aquatic food webs as prey for predators like amphibian and dragonfly larvae. This trophic link may be disrupted by anthropogenic stressors such as Bacillus thuringiensis var. israelensis (Bti), a biocide widely used in mosquito control. In a companion study, we recorded a 41% reduction of non-target larval chironomids abundance in outdoor floodplain pond mesocosms (FPMs) treated with Bti. Therefore, we examined the diet of two top predators in the FPMs, larvae of the palmate newt (Salamandridae: Lissotriton helveticus) and dragonfly (Aeshnidae: predominantly Anax imperator), using bulk stable isotope analyses of carbon and nitrogen. Additionally, we determined neutral lipid fatty acids in newt larvae to assess diet-related effects on their physiological condition. We did not find any effects of Bti on the diet proportions of newt larvae and no significant effects on the fatty acid content. We observed a trend in Aeshnidae larvae from Bti-FPMs consuming a higher proportion of large prey (Aeshnidae, newt, damselfly larvae; ~42%), and similar parts of smaller prey (chironomid, mayfly, Libellulidae, and zooplankton), compared to controls. Our findings may suggest bottom-up effects of Bti on aquatic predators but should be further evaluated, for instance, by using compound-specific stable isotope analyses of fatty acids or metabarcoding approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Verena Gerstle
- Institute for Environmental Sciences, iES Landau, RPTU Kaiserslautern-Landau, Fortstraße 7, D-76829, Landau, Germany.
- Eußerthal Ecosystem Research Station, RPTU Kaiserslautern-Landau, Birkenthalstraße 13, D-76857, Eußerthal, Germany.
| | - Eric Bollinger
- Institute for Environmental Sciences, iES Landau, RPTU Kaiserslautern-Landau, Fortstraße 7, D-76829, Landau, Germany
| | - Alessandro Manfrin
- Institute for Environmental Sciences, iES Landau, RPTU Kaiserslautern-Landau, Fortstraße 7, D-76829, Landau, Germany
| | - Sebastian Pietz
- Institute for Environmental Sciences, iES Landau, RPTU Kaiserslautern-Landau, Fortstraße 7, D-76829, Landau, Germany
| | - Sara Kolbenschlag
- Institute for Environmental Sciences, iES Landau, RPTU Kaiserslautern-Landau, Fortstraße 7, D-76829, Landau, Germany
| | - Alexander Feckler
- Institute for Environmental Sciences, iES Landau, RPTU Kaiserslautern-Landau, Fortstraße 7, D-76829, Landau, Germany
- Eußerthal Ecosystem Research Station, RPTU Kaiserslautern-Landau, Birkenthalstraße 13, D-76857, Eußerthal, Germany
| | - Martin H Entling
- Institute for Environmental Sciences, iES Landau, RPTU Kaiserslautern-Landau, Fortstraße 7, D-76829, Landau, Germany
| | - Carsten A Brühl
- Institute for Environmental Sciences, iES Landau, RPTU Kaiserslautern-Landau, Fortstraße 7, D-76829, Landau, Germany
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Villamarín F, Jardine TD, Bunn SE, Malvasio A, Piña CI, Jacobi CM, Araújo DD, de Brito ES, de Moraes Carvalho F, da Costa ID, Verdade LM, Lara N, de Camargo PB, Miorando PS, Portelinha TCG, Marques TS, Magnusson WE. Body size predicts ontogenetic nitrogen stable-isotope (δ 15N) variation, but has little relationship with trophic level in ectotherm vertebrate predators. Sci Rep 2024; 14:14102. [PMID: 38890338 PMCID: PMC11189434 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-61969-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2024] [Accepted: 05/13/2024] [Indexed: 06/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Large predators have disproportionate effects on their underlying food webs. Thus, appropriately assigning trophic positions has important conservation implications both for the predators themselves and for their prey. Large-bodied predators are often referred to as apex predators, implying that they are many trophic levels above primary producers. However, theoretical considerations predict both higher and lower trophic position with increasing body size. Nitrogen stable isotope values (δ15N) are increasingly replacing stomach contents or behavioral observations to assess trophic position and it is often assumed that ontogenetic dietary shifts result in higher trophic positions. Intraspecific studies based on δ15N values found a positive relationship between size and inferred trophic position. Here, we use datasets of predatory vertebrate ectotherms (crocodilians, turtles, lizards and fishes) to show that, although there are positive intraspecific relationships between size and δ15N values, relationships between stomach-content-based trophic level (TPdiet) and size are undetectable or negative. As there is usually no single value for 15N trophic discrimination factor (TDF) applicable to a predator species or its prey, estimates of trophic position based on δ15N in ectotherm vertebrates with large size ranges, may be inaccurate and biased. We urge a reconsideration of the sole use of δ15N values to assess trophic position and encourage the combined use of isotopes and stomach contents to assess diet and trophic level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francisco Villamarín
- Grupo de Biogeografía y Ecología Espacial (BioGeoE2), Universidad Regional Amazónica Ikiam, Tena, Ecuador.
| | - Timothy D Jardine
- School of Environment and Sustainability, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada
| | - Stuart E Bunn
- Australian Rivers Institute, Griffith University, Nathan, QLD, Australia
| | - Adriana Malvasio
- Laboratório de Ecologia e Zoologia (LABECZ), Curso de Engenharia Ambiental, Universidade Federal do Tocantins, Palmas, TO, Brazil
| | - Carlos Ignacio Piña
- Centro de Investigación Científica y de Transferencia Tecnológica a la Producción (Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Provincia de Entre Ríos, Universidad Autónoma de Entre Ríos), Diamante, Argentina
| | | | - Diogo Dutra Araújo
- Laboratório de Ecologia de Vertebrados Terrestres (LEVERT), Universidade do Vale do Rio dos Sinos, São Leopoldo, RS, Brazil
| | | | | | - Igor David da Costa
- Instituto do Noroeste Fluminense de Educação Superior, Universidade Federal Fluminense, Santo Antônio de Pádua, RJ, Brazil
| | | | - Neliton Lara
- Centro de Energia Nuclear na Agricultura, Universidade de São Paulo, Piracicaba, Brazil
| | | | | | - Thiago Costa Gonçalves Portelinha
- Laboratório de Caracterização de Impactos Ambientais (LCIA), Curso de Engenharia Ambiental, Universidade Federal do Tocantins, Palmas, TO, Brazil
| | - Thiago Simon Marques
- Laboratório de Ecologia Aplicada, Núcleo de Estudos Ambientais, Universidade de Sorocaba, Sorocaba, Brazil
| | - William E Magnusson
- Coordenação de Biodiversidade, Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia, Manaus, Brazil
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10
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Bastos RF, Condini MV, Barbosa EF, Oliveira RL, Almeida LL, Garcia AM, Hostim-Silva M. Seeing further into the early steps of the endangered atlantic goliath grouper (Epinephelus itajara): Eye lenses high resolution isotopic profiles reveal ontogenetic trophic and habitat shifts. MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2024; 198:106517. [PMID: 38657369 DOI: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2024.106517] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2024] [Revised: 04/12/2024] [Accepted: 04/15/2024] [Indexed: 04/26/2024]
Abstract
Estuarine mangroves are often considered nurseries for the Atlantic Goliath grouper juveniles. Yet, the contributions of different estuarine primary producers and habitats as sources of organic matter during early ontogenetic development remain unclear. Given the species' critically endangered status and protection in Brazil, obtaining biological samples from recently settled recruits in estuaries is challenging. In this study, we leveraged a local partnership with fishers and used stable isotope (C and N) profiles from the eye lenses of stranded individuals or incidentally caught by fishery to reconstruct the trophic and habitat changes of small juveniles. The eye lens grows by the apposition of protein-rich layers. Once these layers are formed, they become inert, allowing to make inferences on the trophic ecology and habitat use along the development of the individual until its capture. We used correlations between fish size and the entire eye lens size, along with estuarine baselines, to reconstruct the fish size and trophic positions for each of the lens layers obtained. We then used dominant primary producers and basal sources from mangrove sheltered, exposed estuarine and marine habitats to construct an ontogenetic model of trophic and habitat support changes since maternal origins. Our model revealed marine support before the juveniles reached 25 mm (standard length), followed by a rapid increase in reliance on mangrove sheltered sources, coinciding with the expected size at settlement. After reaching 60 mm, individuals began to show variability. Some remained primarily supported by the mangrove sheltered area, while others shifted to rely more on the exposed estuarine area around 150 mm. Our findings indicate that while mangroves are critical for settlement, as Goliath grouper juveniles grow, they can utilize organic matter produced throughout the estuary. This underscores the need for conservation strategies that focus on seascape connectivity, as protecting just one discrete habitat may not be sufficient to preserve this endangered species and safeguard its ecosystem functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rodrigo F Bastos
- Laboratório de Ecologia de Peixes Marinhos/LEPMAR, Departamento de Ciências Agrárias e Biológicas, CEUNES, Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo, BR-101, Km 60, Litorâneo, São Mateus, ES, 29932-540, Brazil; Programa de Pós-graduação Em Oceanografia Ambiental, Universidade Federal Do Espírito Santo - Av. Fernando Ferrari, 514 - Goiabeiras, Vitória, ES, 29075-910, Brazil.
| | - Mario V Condini
- Laboratório de Ecologia de Peixes Marinhos/LEPMAR, Departamento de Ciências Agrárias e Biológicas, CEUNES, Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo, BR-101, Km 60, Litorâneo, São Mateus, ES, 29932-540, Brazil; Programa de Pós-graduação Em Oceanografia Ambiental, Universidade Federal Do Espírito Santo - Av. Fernando Ferrari, 514 - Goiabeiras, Vitória, ES, 29075-910, Brazil
| | - Ester F Barbosa
- Laboratório de Ecologia de Peixes Marinhos/LEPMAR, Departamento de Ciências Agrárias e Biológicas, CEUNES, Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo, BR-101, Km 60, Litorâneo, São Mateus, ES, 29932-540, Brazil
| | - Rafael L Oliveira
- Laboratório de Ecologia de Peixes Marinhos/LEPMAR, Departamento de Ciências Agrárias e Biológicas, CEUNES, Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo, BR-101, Km 60, Litorâneo, São Mateus, ES, 29932-540, Brazil; Programa de Pós-Graduação Em Ciências Biológicas (Biologia Animal - PPGBAN), Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal Do Espírito Santo, Av. Fernando Ferrari, 514, Goiabeiras, CEP: 29055-460, Vitória, ES, Brazil
| | - Lorena L Almeida
- Laboratório de Ecologia de Peixes Marinhos/LEPMAR, Departamento de Ciências Agrárias e Biológicas, CEUNES, Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo, BR-101, Km 60, Litorâneo, São Mateus, ES, 29932-540, Brazil; Instituto Meros Do Brasil, Rua Benjamin Constant 67, Conj. 1104, CEP: 80060-020, Curitiba, PR, Brazil
| | - Alexandre M Garcia
- Laboratório de Ictiologia, Instituto de Oceanografia, Universidade Federal Do Rio Grande, Av. Itália Km 8, Carreiros. 96.201-900, Rio Grande, RS, Brazil
| | - Maurício Hostim-Silva
- Laboratório de Ecologia de Peixes Marinhos/LEPMAR, Departamento de Ciências Agrárias e Biológicas, CEUNES, Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo, BR-101, Km 60, Litorâneo, São Mateus, ES, 29932-540, Brazil; Programa de Pós-graduação Em Oceanografia Ambiental, Universidade Federal Do Espírito Santo - Av. Fernando Ferrari, 514 - Goiabeiras, Vitória, ES, 29075-910, Brazil; Programa de Pós-Graduação Em Ciências Biológicas (Biologia Animal - PPGBAN), Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal Do Espírito Santo, Av. Fernando Ferrari, 514, Goiabeiras, CEP: 29055-460, Vitória, ES, Brazil; Instituto Meros Do Brasil, Rua Benjamin Constant 67, Conj. 1104, CEP: 80060-020, Curitiba, PR, Brazil
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11
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Canseco JA, Niklitschek EJ, Quezada-Romegialli C, Yarnes C, Harrod C. Comparing trophic position estimates using bulk and compound specific stable isotope analyses: applying new approaches to mackerel icefish Champsocephalus gunnari. PeerJ 2024; 12:e17372. [PMID: 38770096 PMCID: PMC11104342 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.17372] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2024] [Accepted: 04/18/2024] [Indexed: 05/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Quantifying the tropic position (TP) of an animal species is key to understanding its ecosystem function. While both bulk and compound-specific analyses of stable isotopes are widely used for this purpose, few studies have assessed the consistency between and within such approaches. Champsocephalus gunnari is a specialist teleost that predates almost exclusively on Antarctic krill Euphausia superba. This well-known and nearly constant trophic relationship makes C. gunnari particularly suitable for assessing consistency between TP methods under field conditions. In the present work, we produced and compared TP estimates for C. gunnari and its main prey using a standard bulk and two amino acid-specific stable isotope approaches (CSI-AA). One based on the difference between glutamate and phenylalanine (TPGlx-Phe), and the other on the proline-phenylalanine difference (TPPro-Phe). To do that, samples from C. gunnari, E. superba and four other pelagic invertebrate and fish species, all potential prey for C.gunnari, were collected off the South Orkney Islands between January and March 2019, analyzed using standard isotopic ratio mass spectrometry methods and interpreted following a Bayesian approach. Median estimates (CI95%) for C. gunnari were similar between TPbulk (3.6; CI95%: 3.0-4.8) and TPGlx-Phe(3.4; CI95%:3.2-3.6), and lower for TPPro-Phe (3.1; CI95%:3.0-3.3). TP differences between C. gunnari and E. superba were 1.4, 1.1 and 1.2, all compatible with expectations from the monospecific diet of this predator (ΔTP=1). While these results suggest greater accuracy for Glx-Phe and Pro-Phe, differences observed between both CSI-AA approaches suggests these methods may require further validation before becoming a standard tool for trophic ecology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jose Antonio Canseco
- Centro Oceanográfico de Cádiz, Instituto Español de Oceanografía, Cádiz, Cádiz, Spain
| | | | - Claudio Quezada-Romegialli
- Plataforma de Monitoreo Genómico y Ambiental, Departamento de Química, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Tarapacá, Tarapaca, Tarapaca, Chile
| | - Chris Yarnes
- Stable Isotope Facility, UC Davis, Davis, CA, United States of America
| | - Chris Harrod
- Instituto de Ciencias Naturales Alexander Von Humboldt, Universidad de Antofagasta, Antofagasta, Antofagasta, Chile
- Nucleo Milenio Invasal, Concepcion, Biobio, Chile
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12
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Quintanilla JM, Borrego-Santos R, Malca E, Swalethorp R, Landry MR, Gerard T, Lamkin J, García A, Laiz-Carrión R. Maternal Effects and Trophodynamics Drive Interannual Larval Growth Variability of Atlantic Bluefin Tuna ( Thunnus thynnus) from the Gulf of Mexico. Animals (Basel) 2024; 14:1319. [PMID: 38731323 PMCID: PMC11083439 DOI: 10.3390/ani14091319] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2024] [Revised: 04/19/2024] [Accepted: 04/24/2024] [Indexed: 05/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Two cohorts of Atlantic bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus) larvae were sampled in 2017 and 2018 during the peak of spawning in the Gulf of Mexico (GOM). We examined environmental variables, daily growth, otolith biometry and stable isotopes and found that the GOM18 cohort grew at faster rates, with larger and wider otoliths. Inter and intra-population analyses (deficient vs. optimal growth groups) were carried out for pre- and post-flexion developmental stages to determine maternal and trophodynamic influences on larval growth variability based on larval isotopic signatures, trophic niche sizes and their overlaps. For the pre-flexion stages in both years, the optimal growth groups had significantly lower δ15N, implying a direct relationship between growth potential and maternal inheritance. Optimal growth groups and stages for both years showed lower C:N ratios, reflecting a greater energy investment in growth. The results of this study illustrate the interannual transgenerational trophic plasticity of a spawning stock and its linkages to growth potential of their offsprings in the GOM.
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Affiliation(s)
- José M. Quintanilla
- Instituto Español de Oceanografía (IEO-CSIC), Centro Oceanográfico de Málaga, 29640 Fuengirola, Spain; (R.B.-S.); (A.G.); (R.L.-C.)
| | - Ricardo Borrego-Santos
- Instituto Español de Oceanografía (IEO-CSIC), Centro Oceanográfico de Málaga, 29640 Fuengirola, Spain; (R.B.-S.); (A.G.); (R.L.-C.)
- Departamento de Biología Animal, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Málaga, 29071 Málaga, Spain
| | - Estrella Malca
- Cooperative Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Studies, University of Miami, Miami, FL 33149, USA;
- NOAA Fisheries, Southeast Fisheries Science Center, Miami, FL 33149, USA; (T.G.); (J.L.)
| | - Rasmus Swalethorp
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA; (R.S.); (M.R.L.)
| | - Michael R. Landry
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA; (R.S.); (M.R.L.)
| | - Trika Gerard
- NOAA Fisheries, Southeast Fisheries Science Center, Miami, FL 33149, USA; (T.G.); (J.L.)
| | - John Lamkin
- NOAA Fisheries, Southeast Fisheries Science Center, Miami, FL 33149, USA; (T.G.); (J.L.)
| | - Alberto García
- Instituto Español de Oceanografía (IEO-CSIC), Centro Oceanográfico de Málaga, 29640 Fuengirola, Spain; (R.B.-S.); (A.G.); (R.L.-C.)
| | - Raúl Laiz-Carrión
- Instituto Español de Oceanografía (IEO-CSIC), Centro Oceanográfico de Málaga, 29640 Fuengirola, Spain; (R.B.-S.); (A.G.); (R.L.-C.)
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13
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Muñoz-Lechuga R, Lino PG, González-Ortegón E. Interspecific, ontogenetic and temporal variations in stable isotopes of small tuna species in the northeast Atlantic Ocean. ISOTOPES IN ENVIRONMENTAL AND HEALTH STUDIES 2024; 60:13-31. [PMID: 38127307 DOI: 10.1080/10256016.2023.2289956] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2023] [Accepted: 10/16/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023]
Abstract
In order to study the trophic level of small tuna species and their contribution to the carbon flow in pelagic food webs, an analysis of carbon and nitrogen stable isotopes was carried out. The investigation was focused on four small tuna species (Auxis rochei, Auxis thazard, Euthynnus alletteratus and Sarda sarda) commonly harvested in the northeast Atlantic Ocean. The isotope analysis showed how the results for S. sarda are different from the rest of the species analysed, with a higher trophic level, similar to other major tuna species. The greatest niche overlap in δ13C and δ15N occurs among A. rochei, A. thazard and E. alletteratus. Auxis rochei and E. alletteratus showed a size-dependent variability in δ15N, and in δ13C for S. sarda. The small tuna S. sarda exhibits the highest migration rates among various geographical areas in comparison to other small pelagic tunas, and the seasonal variability of isotope values in the area studied can be attributed to the incorporation of larger individuals with a higher lipid content. The results of this work provide new information on the ecological role played by small tuna in food webs, which is more complex and varied than currently thought. This knowledge is essential for a more effective management of fisheries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rubén Muñoz-Lechuga
- Portuguese Institute for the Ocean and Atmosphere (IPMA), Olhão, Portugal
- Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias del Mar y Ambientales, Universidad de Cádiz, Puerto Real, Spain
| | - Pedro G Lino
- Portuguese Institute for the Ocean and Atmosphere (IPMA), Olhão, Portugal
| | - Enrique González-Ortegón
- Instituto de Ciencias Marinas de Andalucía - Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (ICMAN-CSIC), Puerto Real, Spain
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14
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de Carvalho DR, Ferreira FF, Dergam JA, Moreira MZ, Pompeu PS. Food web structure of fish communities of Doce River, 5 years after the Fundão dam failure. ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING AND ASSESSMENT 2024; 196:300. [PMID: 38401000 DOI: 10.1007/s10661-024-12395-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2023] [Accepted: 01/29/2024] [Indexed: 02/26/2024]
Abstract
The rupture of the Fundão dam is considered the largest mining failure in history, which had a particularly detrimental impact on fish populations, as the mud from the ore tailings significantly altered the water quality and habitat of Doce River basin. This study aimed to assess the trophic structure of fish communities in areas impacted and not impacted by the dam rupture in the Doce River basin. To evaluate the food web structure, community-wide trophic niche, and trophic positions of fish, stable isotopes of carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N) were utilized across ten sites (seven impacted and three control). In general, fish appeared to assimilate resources such as invertebrates, algae, and periphyton, although the importance of each resource varied among sites. The site closest to the dam rupture exhibited a more simplified trophic structure compared to the control sites and those nearer the river mouth. In this site, most fish species occupied a similar trophic position. Trophic niches also exhibited the greatest dissimilarity between the site closest to the dam failure and those farther away from it, with an expansion of trophic niche breadth observed with an increase in the distance from the dam rupture. Our study provided valuable insights into the trophic structure of fish communities within the Doce River basin, shedding light on the trophic ecology of the 59 fish species investigated. We also emphasize the importance of our study for future assessments of ore tailings dam failure disasters and evaluating the effectiveness of mitigation measures for Doce River basin recovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Débora Reis de Carvalho
- Laboratório de Ecologia de Peixes, Programa de Pós-Graduação Em Ecologia Aplicada, Departamento de Ecologia E Conservação, Universidade Federal de Lavras, Campus Universitário, Caixa Postal 3037, Lavras, MG, CEP 37200-000, Brazil.
| | | | - Jorge A Dergam
- Laboratório de Sistemática Molecular Beagle, Departamento de Biologia Animal, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa, MG, Brazil
| | - Marcelo Zacharias Moreira
- Laboratório de Ecologia Isotópica, Centro de Energia Nuclear Na Agricultura - CENA, Universidade de São Paulo, Av. Centenário, 303, Caixa Postal 96, Piracicaba, SP, CEP 13400-970, Brazil
| | - Paulo Santos Pompeu
- Laboratório de Ecologia de Peixes, Programa de Pós-Graduação Em Ecologia Aplicada, Departamento de Ecologia E Conservação, Universidade Federal de Lavras, Campus Universitário, Caixa Postal 3037, Lavras, MG, CEP 37200-000, Brazil
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15
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Mychajliw AM, Adams AJ, Brown KC, Campbell BT, Hardesty-Moore M, Welch ZS, Page HM, Southon JR, Cooper SD, Alagona PS. Coupled social and ecological change drove the historical extinction of the California grizzly bear ( Ursus arctos californicus). Proc Biol Sci 2024; 291:20230921. [PMID: 38196370 PMCID: PMC10777157 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2023.0921] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2023] [Accepted: 11/06/2023] [Indexed: 01/11/2024] Open
Abstract
Large carnivores (order Carnivora) are among the world's most threatened mammals due to a confluence of ecological and social forces that have unfolded over centuries. Combining specimens from natural history collections with documents from archival records, we reconstructed the factors surrounding the extinction of the California grizzly bear (Ursus arctos californicus), a once-abundant brown bear subspecies last seen in 1924. Historical documents portrayed California grizzlies as massive hypercarnivores that endangered public safety. Yet, morphological measurements on skulls and teeth generate smaller body size estimates in alignment with extant North American grizzly populations (approx. 200 kg). Stable isotope analysis (δ13C, δ15N) of pelts and bones (n = 57) revealed that grizzlies derived less than 10% of their nutrition from terrestrial animal sources and were therefore largely herbivorous for millennia prior to the first European arrival in this region in 1542. Later colonial land uses, beginning in 1769 with the Mission era, led grizzlies to moderately increase animal protein consumption (up to 26% of diet), but grizzlies still consumed far less livestock than otherwise claimed by contemporary accounts. We show how human activities can provoke short-term behavioural shifts, such as heightened levels of carnivory, that in turn can lead to exaggerated predation narratives and incentivize persecution, triggering rapid loss of an otherwise widespread and ecologically flexible animal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexis M. Mychajliw
- Department of Biology, Middlebury College, Middlebury, VT, USA
- Environmental Studies Program, Middlebury College, Middlebury, VT, USA
- La Brea Tar Pits & Museum, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Andrea J. Adams
- Earth Research Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, USA
| | - Kevin C. Brown
- Environmental Studies Program, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, USA
| | - Beau T. Campbell
- Dinosaur Institute, Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Molly Hardesty-Moore
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Marine Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, USA
| | - Zoë S. Welch
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Marine Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, USA
| | - Henry M. Page
- Marine Science Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, USA
| | - John R. Southon
- Department of Earth System Science, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Scott D. Cooper
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Marine Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, USA
| | - Peter S. Alagona
- Environmental Studies Program, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, USA
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Bahamonde PA, Chiang G, Mancilla G, Contador T, Quezada-Romegialli C, Munkittrick KR, Harrod C. Ecological variation in invasive brown trout (Salmo trutta) within a remote coastal river catchment in northern Patagonia complicates estimates of invasion impact. JOURNAL OF FISH BIOLOGY 2024; 104:139-154. [PMID: 37696767 DOI: 10.1111/jfb.15559] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2023] [Revised: 09/05/2023] [Accepted: 09/07/2023] [Indexed: 09/13/2023]
Abstract
Salmonids were first introduced into the Chilean fresh waters in the 1880s, and c. 140 years later, they are ubiquitous across Chilean rivers, especially in the southern pristine fresh waters. This study examined the brown trout (Salmo trutta) and native taxa ecology in two adjacent but contrasting rivers of Chilean Patagonia. During spring 2016 and spring-fall 2017 we examined the variation in benthic macroinvertebrate and fish community composition and characterized fish size structure, stomach contents, and stable isotopes (δ13 C and δ15 N) to understand population structure, fish diet, and trophic interactions between S. trutta and native taxa. The native Galaxias maculatus (puye) dominated the fish community (74% of abundance). S. trutta was less abundant (16% of survey catch) but dominated the fish community (over 53%) in terms of biomass. S. trutta showed distinct diets (stomach content analysis) in the two rivers, and individuals from the larger river were notably more piscivorous, consuming native fish with a relatively small body size (<100-mm total length). Native fishes were isotopically distinct from S. trutta, which showed a wider isotopic niche in the smaller river, indicating that their trophic role was more variable than in the larger river (piscivorous). This study provides data from the unstudied pristine coastal rivers in Patagonia and reveals that interactions between native and introduced species can vary at very local spatial scales.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paulina Andrea Bahamonde
- Center for Resilience, Adaptation and Mitigation, Faculty of Sciences, Universidad Mayor, Temuco, Chile
- Laboratory of Aquatic Environmental Research, HUB Ambiental UPLA, Universidad de Playa Ancha, Valparaíso, Chile
- Millennium Nucleus of Austral Invasive Salmonids (INVASAL), Concepción, Chile
- Cape Horn International Center (CHIC), Universidad de Magallanes, Puerto Williams, Chile
| | - Gustavo Chiang
- Centro de Investigación para la Sustentabilidad and Departamento de Ecología y Biodiversidad, Facultad de Ciencias de la Vida, Universidad Andrés Bello, Santiago, Chile
| | | | - Tamara Contador
- Millennium Nucleus of Austral Invasive Salmonids (INVASAL), Concepción, Chile
- Cape Horn International Center (CHIC), Universidad de Magallanes, Puerto Williams, Chile
| | - Caudio Quezada-Romegialli
- Millennium Nucleus of Austral Invasive Salmonids (INVASAL), Concepción, Chile
- Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Tarapacá, Arica, Chile
| | | | - Chris Harrod
- Millennium Nucleus of Austral Invasive Salmonids (INVASAL), Concepción, Chile
- Instituto de Ciencias Naturales Alexander Von Humboldt, Universidad de Antofagasta, Antofagasta, Chile
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17
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Bollinger E, Zubrod JP, Englert D, Graf N, Weisner O, Kolb S, Schäfer RB, Entling MH, Schulz R. The influence of season, hunting mode, and habitat specialization on riparian spiders as key predators in the aquatic-terrestrial linkage. Sci Rep 2023; 13:22950. [PMID: 38135811 PMCID: PMC10746743 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-50420-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2023] [Accepted: 12/19/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Freshwater ecosystems subsidize riparian zones with high-quality nutrients via the emergence of aquatic insects. Spiders are dominant consumers of these insect subsidies. However, little is known about the variation of aquatic insect consumption across spiders of different hunting modes, habitat specializations, seasons, and systems. To explore this, we assembled a large stable isotope dataset (n > 1000) of aquatic versus terrestrial sources and six spider species over four points in time adjacent to a lotic and a lentic system. The spiders represent three hunting modes each consisting of a wetland specialist and a habitat generalist. We expected that specialists would feed more on aquatic prey than their generalist counterparts. Mixing models showed that spiders' diet consisted of 17-99% of aquatic sources, with no clear effect of habitat specialization. Averaged over the whole study period, web builders (WB) showed the highest proportions (78%) followed by ground hunters (GH, 42%) and vegetation hunters (VH, 31%). Consumption of aquatic prey was highest in June and August, which is most pronounced in GH and WBs, with the latter feeding almost entirely on aquatic sources during this period. Additionally, the elevated importance of high-quality lipids from aquatic origin during fall is indicated by elemental analyses pointing to an accumulation of lipids in October, which represent critical energy reserves during winter. Consequently, this study underlines the importance of aquatic prey irrespective of the habitat specialization of spiders. Furthermore, it suggests that energy flows vary substantially between spider hunting modes and seasons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric Bollinger
- iES Landau, Institute for Environmental Sciences, RPTU Kaiserslautern-Landau, Fortstraße 7, D-76829, Landau, Germany.
| | - Jochen P Zubrod
- iES Landau, Institute for Environmental Sciences, RPTU Kaiserslautern-Landau, Fortstraße 7, D-76829, Landau, Germany
- Zubrod Environmental Data Science, Ostring 24a, D-76829, Landau, Germany
| | - Dominic Englert
- iES Landau, Institute for Environmental Sciences, RPTU Kaiserslautern-Landau, Fortstraße 7, D-76829, Landau, Germany
| | - Nadin Graf
- iES Landau, Institute for Environmental Sciences, RPTU Kaiserslautern-Landau, Fortstraße 7, D-76829, Landau, Germany
| | - Oliver Weisner
- iES Landau, Institute for Environmental Sciences, RPTU Kaiserslautern-Landau, Fortstraße 7, D-76829, Landau, Germany
| | - Sebastian Kolb
- iES Landau, Institute for Environmental Sciences, RPTU Kaiserslautern-Landau, Fortstraße 7, D-76829, Landau, Germany
| | - Ralf B Schäfer
- iES Landau, Institute for Environmental Sciences, RPTU Kaiserslautern-Landau, Fortstraße 7, D-76829, Landau, Germany
| | - Martin H Entling
- iES Landau, Institute for Environmental Sciences, RPTU Kaiserslautern-Landau, Fortstraße 7, D-76829, Landau, Germany
| | - Ralf Schulz
- iES Landau, Institute for Environmental Sciences, RPTU Kaiserslautern-Landau, Fortstraße 7, D-76829, Landau, Germany
- Eußerthal Ecosystem Research Station, RPTU Kaiserslautern-Landau, Birkenthalstraße 13, D-76857, Eußerthal, Germany
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18
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Abstract
The measurement of naturally occurring stable isotope ratios of the light elements (C, N, H, O, S) in animal tissues and associated organic and inorganic fractions of associated environments holds immense potential as a means of addressing effects of global change on animals. This paper provides a brief review of studies that have used the isotope approach to evaluate changes in diet, isotopic niche, contaminant burden, reproductive and nutritional investment, invasive species and shifts in migration origin or destination with clear links to evaluating effects of global change. This field has now reached a level of maturity that is impressive but generally underappreciated and involves technical as well as statistical advances and access to freely available R-based packages. There is a need for animal ecologists and conservationists to design tissue collection networks that will best answer current and anticipated questions related to the global change and the biodiversity crisis. These developments will move the field of stable isotope ecology toward a more hypothesis driven discipline related to rapidly changing global events.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keith A Hobson
- Wildlife Research Division, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Saskatoon, SK, S7N 0X4, Canada.
- Department of Biology, Western University, London, ON, N6A 5B7, Canada.
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19
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Briones-Hernández SA, Jakes-Cota U, Elorriaga-Verplancken FR, Galván-Magaña F, Logan JM, O'Sullivan J, Carvajal-Rodríguez JM, Elias E, Alfaro-Shigueto J, Ortega-García S. Movement and population dispersal of dolphinfish (Coryphaena hippurus) across the Eastern Tropical Pacific inferred from carbon and nitrogen stable isotope analyses. JOURNAL OF FISH BIOLOGY 2023; 103:544-556. [PMID: 37212715 DOI: 10.1111/jfb.15456] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2023] [Accepted: 05/17/2023] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
The dolphinfish (Coryphaena hippurus) is a globally distributed marine predator that supports one of the most important coastal fisheries along the Eastern Tropical Pacific (ETP), but its spatial movements in this area are poorly understood. Stable isotope values (δ13 C and δ15 N) of white muscle from dolphinfish (n = 220) captured at different locations across the ETP (i.e., Mexico, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Peru and oceanic areas) were normalized to copepod baseline stable isotope values to estimate dolphinfish trophic position, movements and population dispersal. Movement or residence patterns were inferred from the difference in δ15 N values (Δ15 Ndolphinfish-copepod ‰) between copepods and dolphinfish muscle. Baseline corrected isotope values (δ13 Cdolphinfish-copepod and δ15 Ndolphinfish-copepod ) of dolphinfish muscle were used to estimate isotopic niche metrics and infer population dispersal across isoscapes. Values of δ13 C and δ15 N differed between juvenile and adult dolphinfish and across the ETP. Trophic position estimates ranged from 3.1 to 6.0 with a mean of 4.6. Adults and juveniles had similar trophic position estimates, whereas isotopic niche areas (SEA ‰2 ) of adults were greater relative to juveniles in every location. Adult dolphinfish showed "moderate movement by some individuals" in all locations based on Δ15 Ndolphinfish-copepod values, except for Costa Rica where adults were classified with "high degree of movement by some individuals" whereas juveniles showed "limited movement" in all areas except Mexico. Population dispersal based on Δ15 Ndolphinfish-copepod values showed "moderate" and "high" dispersal for adults and "no dispersal" for most juveniles, except for Mexico. This study provides insight into potential dolphinfish spatial mobility across an area of interest for multiple nations, which can help to improve stock assessments and management of the species.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ulianov Jakes-Cota
- Departamento de Pesquerías y Biología Marina, Instituto Politécnico Nacional - CICIMAR, La Paz, Mexico
| | | | - Felipe Galván-Magaña
- Departamento de Pesquerías y Biología Marina, Instituto Politécnico Nacional - CICIMAR, La Paz, Mexico
| | - John M Logan
- Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries, New Bedford, Massachusetts, USA
| | | | | | - Esteban Elias
- Instituto Público de Investigación de Acuicultura y Pesca, Guayaquil, Ecuador
| | | | - Sofía Ortega-García
- Departamento de Pesquerías y Biología Marina, Instituto Politécnico Nacional - CICIMAR, La Paz, Mexico
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20
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Condini MV, Garcia AM, Bastos RF, Vollrath SR, Barbosa EF, Oliveira RL, Almeida LL, Hostim-Silva M. Hydroclimatic influence on the trophic ecology of Atlantic goliath grouper juveniles (Epinephelus itajara) in a tropical estuary using non-lethal methodologies. MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2023; 190:106103. [PMID: 37473597 DOI: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2023.106103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2023] [Revised: 07/04/2023] [Accepted: 07/12/2023] [Indexed: 07/22/2023]
Abstract
The Atlantic goliath grouper Epinephelus itajara is the largest species of groupers in the Atlantic Ocean, reaching over 2 m total length and 400 kg. It has an ontogenetic migration, with adults using nearshore and offshore marine areas and juveniles inhabiting estuarine/mangrove areas. Despite of its high ecological relevance and classification as a threatened species for several decades in the IUCN red lists, critical phases of its life cycle, like juveniles inhabiting estuaries, are still poorly investigated. In this study, we evaluated if hydroclimatic changes may affect the trophic ecology of juveniles in a tropical estuary. We described their diet composition, isotopic niche area, food assimilation, and trophic position of juveniles across seasons using two non-lethal techniques: stomach content analysis using a stomach flushing procedure and stable isotope analysis using a dermal biopsy. A total of 87 individuals with TL ranging from 38 to 331 mm had their stomachs analyzed, of which 31 had food content. We identified 11 prey items, shrimp being the most abundant prey group (IRI% = 88.4), followed by fish (6.6), blue crab (2.8), and crab (2.2). A total of 93 specimens had their muscle's carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N) stable isotope ratios analyzed (38-332 mm TL). Average δ13C values showed statistically significant changes across seasons, but no significant changes were observed for δ15N. As initially predicted, isotopic niche size of juveniles changed consistently along the entire hydroclimatic cycle, reaching its peak at the end of the wet season. We also observed changes in the proportion of prey assimilation by juveniles between seasons. Shrimp (92.1%) was the most assimilated prey group during the late dry season, whereas tidal crabs (36.7%), blue crab (27.8%), and shrimp (25.1%) were the most important in the late wet season. Average trophic position of juveniles remained similar across wet (3.32 ± 0.10) and dry (3.23 ± 0.11) seasons. These findings provide important information to help decision makers to promote more efficient management and conservation legislations to protect early life stages of the Atlantic goliath grouper in tropical estuaries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mario V Condini
- Laboratório de Ecologia de Peixes Marinhos - LEPMAR, Departamento de Ciências Agrárias e Biológicas, CEUNES, Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo, BR-101, km 60 - Litorâneo, CEP: 29932-540, São Mateus, ES, Brazil; Programa de Pós-Graduação em Oceanografia Ambiental (PPGOAM), Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo, Av. Fernando Ferrari, 514, Goiabeiras, CEP: 29055-460, Vitória, ES, Brazil.
| | - Alexandre M Garcia
- Laboratório de Ictiologia, Instituto de Oceanografia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande, Av. Itália Km 8, Carreiros. 96.201-900, Rio Grande, RS, Brazil
| | - Rodrigo F Bastos
- Laboratório de Ecologia de Peixes Marinhos - LEPMAR, Departamento de Ciências Agrárias e Biológicas, CEUNES, Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo, BR-101, km 60 - Litorâneo, CEP: 29932-540, São Mateus, ES, Brazil; Programa de Pós-Graduação em Oceanografia Ambiental (PPGOAM), Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo, Av. Fernando Ferrari, 514, Goiabeiras, CEP: 29055-460, Vitória, ES, Brazil
| | - Sabrina R Vollrath
- Laboratório de Ictiologia, Instituto de Oceanografia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande, Av. Itália Km 8, Carreiros. 96.201-900, Rio Grande, RS, Brazil
| | - Ester F Barbosa
- Laboratório de Ecologia de Peixes Marinhos - LEPMAR, Departamento de Ciências Agrárias e Biológicas, CEUNES, Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo, BR-101, km 60 - Litorâneo, CEP: 29932-540, São Mateus, ES, Brazil
| | - Rafael L Oliveira
- Laboratório de Ecologia de Peixes Marinhos - LEPMAR, Departamento de Ciências Agrárias e Biológicas, CEUNES, Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo, BR-101, km 60 - Litorâneo, CEP: 29932-540, São Mateus, ES, Brazil; Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Biológicas (Biologia Animal - PPGBAN), Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo, Av. Fernando Ferrari, 514, Goiabeiras, CEP: 29055-460, Vitória, ES, Brazil
| | - Lorena L Almeida
- Laboratório de Ecologia de Peixes Marinhos - LEPMAR, Departamento de Ciências Agrárias e Biológicas, CEUNES, Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo, BR-101, km 60 - Litorâneo, CEP: 29932-540, São Mateus, ES, Brazil; Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Biológicas (Biologia Animal - PPGBAN), Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo, Av. Fernando Ferrari, 514, Goiabeiras, CEP: 29055-460, Vitória, ES, Brazil
| | - Maurício Hostim-Silva
- Laboratório de Ecologia de Peixes Marinhos - LEPMAR, Departamento de Ciências Agrárias e Biológicas, CEUNES, Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo, BR-101, km 60 - Litorâneo, CEP: 29932-540, São Mateus, ES, Brazil; Programa de Pós-Graduação em Oceanografia Ambiental (PPGOAM), Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo, Av. Fernando Ferrari, 514, Goiabeiras, CEP: 29055-460, Vitória, ES, Brazil; Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Biológicas (Biologia Animal - PPGBAN), Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo, Av. Fernando Ferrari, 514, Goiabeiras, CEP: 29055-460, Vitória, ES, Brazil; Instituto Meros do Brasil, Rua Benjamin Cosntant 67, Conj. 1104, CEP: 80060-020, Curitiba, PR, Brazil
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21
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Ziegler AF, Bluhm BA, Renaud PE, Jørgensen LL. Isotopic turnover in polar cod (Boreogadus saida) muscle determined through a controlled feeding experiment. JOURNAL OF FISH BIOLOGY 2023; 102:1442-1454. [PMID: 36999199 DOI: 10.1111/jfb.15389] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2022] [Accepted: 03/29/2023] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Polar cod (Boreogadus saida) is an important trophic link within Arctic marine food webs and is likely to experience diet shifts in response to climate change. One important tool for assessing organism diet is bulk stable isotope analysis. However, key parameters necessary for interpreting the temporal context of stable isotope values are lacking, especially for Arctic species. This study provides the first experimental determination of isotopic turnover (as half-life) and trophic discrimination factors (TDFs) of both δ13 C and δ15 N in adult polar cod muscle. Using a diet enriched in both 13 C and 15 N, we measured isotopic turnover times of 61 and 49 days for δ13 C and δ15 N, respectively, with metabolism accounting for >94% of the total turnover. These half-life estimates are valid for adult polar cod (>3 years) experiencing little somatic growth. We measured TDFs in our control of 2.6‰ and 3.9‰ for δ13 C and δ15 N, respectively, and we conclude that applying the commonly used TDF of ~1‰ for δ13 C for adult polar cod may lead to misrepresentation of dietary carbon source, while the use of 3.8‰ for δ15 N is appropriate. Based on these results, we recommend that studies investigating seasonal shifts in the diet of adult polar cod sample at temporal intervals of at least 60 days to account for isotopic turnover in polar cod muscle. Although isotopic equilibrium was reached by the fish in this study, it was at substantially lower isotope values than the diet. Additionally, the use of highly enriched algae in the experimental feed caused very high variability in diet isotope values which precluded accurate calculation of TDFs from the enriched fish. As a result of the challenges faced in this study, we discourage the use of highly enriched diets for similar experiments and provide recommendations to guide the design of future isotopic turnover experiments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda Fern Ziegler
- Department of Arctic and Marine Biology, Faculty of Biosciences, Fisheries and Economics, UiT The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway
- Institute of Marine Research, Fram Centre, Tromsø, Norway
| | - Bodil A Bluhm
- Department of Arctic and Marine Biology, Faculty of Biosciences, Fisheries and Economics, UiT The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway
| | - Paul E Renaud
- Akvaplan-niva, Fram Centre for Climate and the Environment, Tromsø, Norway
- University Centre in Svalbard, Longyearbyen, Norway
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22
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De la Llata Quiroga E, Arauz R, Tripp Valdez A, Porras Murillo L, Parallada MS, Sánchez-Murillo R, Chávez EJ. Trophic ecology of juvenile bull sharks (Carcharhinus leucas) in the Coyote estuary, Costa Rica. JOURNAL OF FISH BIOLOGY 2023; 102:669-679. [PMID: 36633535 DOI: 10.1111/jfb.15313] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2022] [Accepted: 01/09/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Bull shark (Carcharhinus leucas) is a near-threatened elasmobranch species capable of moving between the fresh and salty waters of tropical and subtropical coastal areas, for which we still lack important ecological information. During their first years of life, bull sharks use estuarine systems as nursery areas, making them highly susceptible to environmental and anthropogenic pressures. We studied the trophic ecology of juveniles found in the Coyote estuary, a potential nursery area in Costa Rica, to understand the potential impact of further bull shark declines and gain knowledge that could aid in their conservation. We analysed the trophic ecology of juvenile bull sharks [81-103 cm total length (TL)] in the Coyote estuary, Costa Rica, using stable isotopes of δ15 N and δ13 C. Since one problem using this technique in juveniles is the confounding effect of the maternal signature, we sampled different tissues (muscle and plasma), verified the status of the shark's umbilical scar and identified the size at which the isotope signature is a result of the animal's current diet. The isotopic values of the muscle tissue reflected the maternal isotopic signature. In contrast, plasma values reflected the diet of juvenile bull sharks >95 cm TL and with a closed umbilical scar. Juvenile bull sharks fed primarily on teleost fishes of the order Anguilliformes and Siluriformes, and have a high trophic position (≥4.0) in the Coyote estuary. Our findings suggest that this estuary is an important feeding site for juvenile bull sharks of the Pacific of Costa Rica. Thus, the protection of essential habitats such as the Coyote estuary will benefit not only bull shark conservation, but also the conservation of an array of fish species that also use this habitat as a rookery, many of which are of commercial interest.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edna De la Llata Quiroga
- Instituto Internacional en Conservación y Manejo de Vida Silvestre, Universidad Nacional, Costa Rica, Heredia, Costa Rica
| | - Randall Arauz
- Marine Watch International, San Francisco, California, United States
| | - Arturo Tripp Valdez
- Instituto Politécnico Nacional-Centro Interdisciplinario de Ciencias Marinas, La Paz, Mexico
| | - Laura Porras Murillo
- Instituto Internacional en Conservación y Manejo de Vida Silvestre, Universidad Nacional, Costa Rica, Heredia, Costa Rica
| | - Manuel Spinola Parallada
- Instituto Internacional en Conservación y Manejo de Vida Silvestre, Universidad Nacional, Costa Rica, Heredia, Costa Rica
| | - Ricardo Sánchez-Murillo
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, Texas, USA
| | - Elpis J Chávez
- Centro Rescate de Especies Marinas Amenazadas, Tibás, Costa Rica
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23
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Ramirez MD, Avens L, Meylan AB, Shaver DJ, Stahl AR, Meylan PA, Clark JM, Howell LN, Stacy BA, Teas WG, McMahon KW. Dietary plasticity linked to divergent growth trajectories in a critically endangered sea turtle. Front Ecol Evol 2023. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2023.1050582] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Foraging habitat selection and diet quality are key factors that influence individual fitness and meta-population dynamics through effects on demographic rates. There is growing evidence that sea turtles exhibit regional differences in somatic growth linked to alternative dispersal patterns during the oceanic life stage. Yet, the role of habitat quality and diet in shaping somatic growth rates is poorly understood. Here, we evaluate whether diet variation is linked to regional growth variation in hawksbill sea turtles (Eretmochelys imbricata), which grow significantly slower in Texas, United States versus Florida, United States, through novel integrations of skeletal growth, gastrointestinal content (GI), and bulk tissue and amino acid (AA)-specific stable nitrogen (δ15N) and carbon (δ13C) isotope analyses. We also used AA δ15N ΣV values (heterotrophic bacterial re-synthesis index) and δ13C essential AA (δ13CEAA) fingerprinting to test assumptions about the energy sources fueling hawksbill food webs regionally. GI content analyses, framed within a global synthesis of hawksbill dietary plasticity, revealed that relatively fast-growing hawksbills stranded in Florida conformed with assumptions of extensive spongivory for this species. In contrast, relatively slow-growing hawksbills stranded in Texas consumed considerable amounts of non-sponge invertebrate prey and appear to forage higher in the food web as indicated by isotopic niche metrics and higher AA δ15N-based trophic position estimates internally indexed to baseline nitrogen isotope variation. However, regional differences in estimated trophic position may also be driven by unique isotope dynamics of sponge food webs. AA δ15N ΣV values and δ13CEAA fingerprinting indicated minimal bacterial re-synthesis of organic matter (ΣV < 2) and that eukaryotic microalgae were the primary energy source supporting hawksbill food webs. These findings run contrary to assumptions that hawksbill diets predominantly comprise high microbial abundance sponges expected to primarily derive energy from bacterial symbionts. Our findings suggest alternative foraging patterns could underlie regional variation in hawksbill growth rates, as divergence from typical sponge prey might correspond with increased energy expenditure and reduced foraging success or diet quality. As a result, differential dispersal patterns may infer substantial individual and population fitness costs and represent a previously unrecognized challenge to the persistence and recovery of this critically endangered species.
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24
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Historical analysis reveals ecological shifts in two omnivorous fish after the invasion of Limnoperna fortunei in the Uruguay river. Biol Invasions 2023. [DOI: 10.1007/s10530-023-03020-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/21/2023]
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25
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Lozano-Peña JP, Polo-Silva CJ, Delgado-Huertas A, Sanjuan-Muñoz A. Isotopic niche partitioning between an invasive fish and two native mesopredators in the Colombian Caribbean. FOOD WEBS 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.fooweb.2023.e00272] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
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26
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Bökenhans V, Galván D, Bigatti G, Averbuj A. Stable Isotopes Reveal Algal Assimilation in the Carnivorous Sea Slug Pleurobranchaea maculata (Quoy & Gaimard, 1832) on Patagonian Coasts. MALACOLOGIA 2022. [DOI: 10.4002/040.065.0106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Verena Bökenhans
- LARBIM-IBIOMAR, CCT CONICET-CENPAT, Bvd. Brown 2915, U9120ACV Puerto Madryn, Chubut, Argentina
| | - David Galván
- CESIMAR-CCT CONICET-CENPAT, Bvd. Brown 2915, U9120ACV Puerto Madryn, Chubut, Argentina
| | - Gregorio Bigatti
- LARBIM-IBIOMAR, CCT CONICET-CENPAT, Bvd. Brown 2915, U9120ACV Puerto Madryn, Chubut, Argentina
| | - Andrés Averbuj
- LARBIM-IBIOMAR, CCT CONICET-CENPAT, Bvd. Brown 2915, U9120ACV Puerto Madryn, Chubut, Argentina
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27
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Bassett LG, Mali I, Nowlin WH, Foley DH, Forstner MR. Diet and Isotopic Niche of the Rio Grande Cooter (Pseudemys gorzugi) and Syntopic Red-eared Slider (Trachemys scripta elegans) in San Felipe Creek, Texas, USA. CHELONIAN CONSERVATION AND BIOLOGY 2022. [DOI: 10.2744/ccb-1556.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Lawrence G. Bassett
- Department of Biology, Texas State University, 601 University Drive, San Marcos, Texas 78666 USA [; ; ]
| | - Ivana Mali
- Department of Biology, Eastern New Mexico University, 1500 South Avenue K, Station 33, Portales, New Mexico 88130 USA
| | - Weston H. Nowlin
- Department of Biology, Texas State University, 601 University Drive, San Marcos, Texas 78666 USA [; ; ]
| | - Daniel H. Foley
- Department of Natural and Behavioral Sciences, Sul Ross State University, 205 Wildcat Drive, Del Rio, Texas 78840 USA []
| | - Michael R.J. Forstner
- Department of Biology, Texas State University, 601 University Drive, San Marcos, Texas 78666 USA [; ; ]
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28
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Aguiar-Santos J, deHart PAP, Forsberg BR, Freitas CEC. Isotopic niche alteration of a predator fish in a dammed Amazonian black water river. JOURNAL OF FISH BIOLOGY 2022; 101:1530-1539. [PMID: 36196976 DOI: 10.1111/jfb.15230] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2022] [Accepted: 09/25/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Although many upstream effects of a dam on the trophic ecology of fish have been reported, little is known about their downstream effects on the isotopic niche of Amazonian predator fish. The authors used stable isotope analysis of δ13 C and δ15 N to determine the downstream effects of damming of the Uatumã River on the niche width, carbon energy sources and trophic position of peacock bass Cichla temensis comparing with a free-flowing river in the Amazon basin, Brazil, during the peak flood and early falling water period of 2020. They found that the C. temensis population of the undammed river had a smaller niche width than the C. temensis population of the dammed river, despite the greater number of prey trophic levels utilized and the higher trophic position of C. temensis individuals. The results demonstrate that in both rivers there is a gradual shift in the contribution of prey fish sources to the diet of C. temensis throughout its growth, even among adult individuals. They conclude that the isotopic niche of C. temensis was altered by damming during the period of late high water to early low water in the Uatumã River.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Pieter A P deHart
- Office of Graduate Studies, University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, Green Bay, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Bruce R Forsberg
- Department of Environmental Conservation, Vermont Agency of Natural Resources, Montpelier, Vermont, USA
| | - Carlos E C Freitas
- Department of Fishery Sciences, Federal University of Amazonas, Manaus, Brazil
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29
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Flood PJ, Loftus WF, Trexler JC. Fishes in a seasonally pulsed wetland show spatiotemporal shifts in diet and trophic niche but not shifts in trophic position. FOOD WEBS 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.fooweb.2022.e00265] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
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30
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MesopTroph, a database of trophic parameters to study interactions in mesopelagic food webs. Sci Data 2022; 9:716. [PMID: 36411285 PMCID: PMC9678877 DOI: 10.1038/s41597-022-01831-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2022] [Accepted: 11/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Mesopelagic organisms play a crucial role in marine food webs, channelling energy across the predator-prey network and connecting depth strata through their diel vertical migrations. The information available to assess mesopelagic feeding interactions and energy transfer has increased substantially in recent years, owing to the growing interest and research activity in the mesopelagic realm. However, such data have not been systematically collated and are difficult to access, hampering estimation of the contribution of mesopelagic organisms to marine ecosystems. Here we present MesopTroph, a georeferenced database of diet, trophic markers, and energy content of mesopelagic and other marine taxa compiled from 203 published and non-published sources. MesopTroph currently includes data on stomach contents, carbon and nitrogen stable isotopes, major and trace elements, energy density, fatty acids, trophic positions, and diet proportion estimates for 498 species/genera. MesopTroph will be expanded with new data emerging from ongoing studies. MesopTroph provides a unique tool to investigate trophic interactions and energy flow mediated by mesopelagic organisms, and to evaluate the ecosystem services of this community.
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Lois NA, Balza U, Brasso R, Dodino S, Pütz K, Polito MJ, Riccialdelli L, Ciancio J, Quillfeldt P, Mahler B, Rey AR. Mercury and stable isotopes portray colony-specific foraging grounds in southern rockhopper penguins over the Patagonian Shelf. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2022; 184:114137. [PMID: 36183510 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2022.114137] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2022] [Revised: 08/18/2022] [Accepted: 09/11/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Mercury pollution is a serious global environmental issue and the characterization of its distribution and its driving forces should be urgently included in research agendas. We report unusually high mercury (Hg) concentrations (>5 μg/g) along with stable isotopes values in feathers of southern rockhopper penguins (Eudyptes chrysocome) from colonies in the Southwest Atlantic Ocean. We found a highly heterogenous prevalence of Hg throughout the study area and over a three-fold higher mean Hg concentration in southernmost colonies. Variation in Hg concentrations among colonies is primarily explained by site, rather than by trophic position. We provide further support to the existence of a Hg hotspot in the food web of the Patagonian Shelf and spatially restrict it to the southern tip of South America. Our findings highlight the need for regional and colony-based seabird conservation management when high local variability and plasticity in foraging habits is evident.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicolás A Lois
- Departamento de Ecología, Genética y Evolución, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires (DEGE-FCEyN-UBA), Buenos Aires, Argentina; Instituto de Ecología, Genética y Evolución de Buenos Aires, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (IEGEBA-CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina.
| | - Ulises Balza
- Centro Austral de Investigaciones Científicas, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CADIC-CONICET), Ushuaia, Argentina
| | - Rebecka Brasso
- Weber State University, Ogden, UT, United States of America
| | - Samanta Dodino
- Centro Austral de Investigaciones Científicas, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CADIC-CONICET), Ushuaia, Argentina
| | | | - Michael J Polito
- Department of Oceanography and Coastal Sciences, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, United States of America
| | - Luciana Riccialdelli
- Centro Austral de Investigaciones Científicas, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CADIC-CONICET), Ushuaia, Argentina
| | - Javier Ciancio
- Centro para el Estudio de Sistemas Marinos (CESIMAR-CONICET), Puerto Madryn, Chubut, Argentina
| | - Petra Quillfeldt
- Department of Animal Ecology & Systematics, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Germany
| | - Bettina Mahler
- Departamento de Ecología, Genética y Evolución, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires (DEGE-FCEyN-UBA), Buenos Aires, Argentina; Instituto de Ecología, Genética y Evolución de Buenos Aires, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (IEGEBA-CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Andrea Raya Rey
- Centro Austral de Investigaciones Científicas, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CADIC-CONICET), Ushuaia, Argentina; Instituto de Ciencias Polares, Ambiente y Recursos Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Tierra del Fuego (ICPA-UNTdF), Ushuaia, Argentina; Wildlife Conservation Society, Buenos Aires, Argentina
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Balzani P, Haubrock PJ. Expanding the invasion toolbox: including stable isotope analysis in risk assessment. NEOBIOTA 2022. [DOI: 10.3897/neobiota.76.77944] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
Species introductions are a major concern for ecosystem functioning, socio-economic wealth, and human well-being. Preventing introductions proved to be the most effective management strategy, and various tools such as species distribution models and risk assessment protocols have been developed or applied to this purpose. These approaches use information on a species to predict its potential invasiveness and impact in the case of its introduction into a new area. At the same time, much biodiversity has been lost due to multiple drivers. Ways to determine the potential for successful reintroductions of once native but now extinct species as well as assisted migrations are yet missing. Stable isotope analyses are commonly used to reconstruct a species’ feeding ecology and trophic interactions within communities. Recently, this method has been used to predict potentially arising trophic interactions in the absence of the target species. Here we propose the implementation of stable isotope analysis as an approach for assessment schemes to increase the accuracy in predicting invader impacts as well as the success of reintroductions and assisted migrations. We review and discuss possibilities and limitations of this methods usage, suggesting promising and useful applications for scientists and managers.
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Medina-Contreras D, Cantera-Kintz J, Sánchez A. Trophic structure of fish communities in mangrove systems subject to different levels of anthropogenic intervention, Tropical Eastern Pacific, Colombia. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2022; 29:61608-61622. [PMID: 34716894 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-021-16814-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2021] [Accepted: 09/25/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Mangroves are important ecosystems of tropical and subtropical shorelines. Anthropogenic activity decreases their habitat quality, affecting structural and functional trophic features. We hypothesized that higher levels of anthropogenic intervention generate diversity loss and modify the trophic structure of tropical mangrove fish communities. We compared the taxonomic and isotopic (δ13C/δ15N) composition, abundance, trophic position, and isotopic niche of fish communities from three mangrove systems with different anthropogenic intervention levels in the Colombian Pacific. Non-parametric statistical tests and a Bayesian approach were used to analyze data. A total of 1254 specimens belonging to 23 families, 25 genera, and 30 species were identified, presenting higher abundance (821) in moderate anthropogenic intervention level mangrove (Moderate-AIL), with high dominance of one species (Lile stolifera). The low anthropogenic intervention level mangrove (Low-AIL) was the second in abundance (291) but exhibited a greater number of species (23), while the high anthropogenic intervention level mangrove (High-AIL) presented the least abundance (142) and species number (17). The isotopic composition reveals that Moderate and High-AIL mangroves presented enriched 13C and 15 N compared to Low-AIL (~ 2 to 4 ‰). Mean trophic position (TP) of communities was slightly higher in the more intervened systems (~ 1 to 2 orders of magnitude), as well as in specific species (Centropomus spp.). Isotopic niche width (TA and SEAc) was greater in High-AIL (41.1 and 9.2), more than doubled compared to Moderate-AIL (33.0 and 4.1). In High-AIL isotopic niche width increased, indicating lesser availability of prey and basal resources. The results obtained in this study support the proposed hypothesis and, suggest that anthropogenic intervention modifies diversity and food webs dynamics, affecting the transfer of matter and energy from macrotidal tropical mangroves to coastal ecosystems. However, it is recommended to be careful concluding differences based exclusively on the anthropogenic intervention level, since it is widely documented that mangrove settings also influence the analyzed trophic parameters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diana Medina-Contreras
- Centro Interdisciplinario de Ciencias Marinas, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Av. Instituto Politécnico Nacional S/N Col. Playa Palo de Santa Rita, La Paz, B.C.S, Código Postal 23096, Mexico.
- Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Exactas, Grupo de Investigación en Ecología de Estuarios y Manglares, Universidad del Valle, Calle 13 No. 100-00, Ciudad Universitaria Meléndez, Valle del Cauca, Cali, Colombia.
| | - Jaime Cantera-Kintz
- Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Exactas, Grupo de Investigación en Ecología de Estuarios y Manglares, Universidad del Valle, Calle 13 No. 100-00, Ciudad Universitaria Meléndez, Valle del Cauca, Cali, Colombia
| | - Alberto Sánchez
- Centro Interdisciplinario de Ciencias Marinas, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Av. Instituto Politécnico Nacional S/N Col. Playa Palo de Santa Rita, La Paz, B.C.S, Código Postal 23096, Mexico
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Abstract
AbstractTrophic transfer efficiency (TTE) is usually calculated as the ratio of production rates between two consecutive trophic levels. Although seemingly simple, TTE estimates from lakes are rare. In our review, we explore the processes and structures that must be understood for a proper lake TTE estimate. We briefly discuss measurements of production rates and trophic positions and mention how ecological efficiencies, nutrients (N, P) and other compounds (fatty acids) affect energy transfer between trophic levels and hence TTE. Furthermore, we elucidate how TTE estimates are linked with size-based approaches according to the Metabolic Theory of Ecology, and how food-web models can be applied to study TTE in lakes. Subsequently, we explore temporal and spatial heterogeneity of production and TTE in lakes, with a particular focus on the links between benthic and pelagic habitats and between the lake and the terrestrial environment. We provide an overview of TTE estimates from lakes found in the published literature. Finally, we present two alternative approaches to estimating TTE. First, TTE can be seen as a mechanistic quantity informing about the energy and matter flow between producer and consumer groups. This approach is informative with respect to food-web structure, but requires enormous amounts of data. The greatest uncertainty comes from the proper consideration of basal production to estimate TTE of omnivorous organisms. An alternative approach is estimating food-chain and food-web efficiencies, by comparing the heterotrophic production of single consumer levels or the total sum of all heterotrophic production including that of heterotrophic bacteria to the total sum of primary production. We close the review by pointing to a few research questions that would benefit from more frequent and standardized estimates of TTE in lakes.
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Lejeune B, Kopp D, Mehault S, Mouchet MA. Assessing the diet and trophic level of marine fauna in a fishing ground subject to discarding activity using stable isotopes. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0268758. [PMID: 35671294 PMCID: PMC9173610 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0268758] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2021] [Accepted: 05/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Discarding practices have become a source of concern for the perennation of marine resources, prompting efforts of discard reduction around the globe. However, little is known about the fate of discards in marine environments. Discarding may provide food for various marine consumers, potentially affecting food web structure and stability. Yet, quantifying reliance upon discards is difficult because identity and frequency of discards may change according to multiple factors, and most previously used diet assessment techniques do not allow to assume consistency of feeding strategies over time. One currently untested hypothesis is that significant contribution of discards over time should reflect in increased trophic level (TL) of marine fauna, particularly in low TL consumers. Here, we explored this hypothesis by modeling the TL and assimilated diet of consumers living in fishing grounds subject to important discarding activity using stable isotope analysis. We found indications that benthic invertebrates and Chondrichthyes may depict a higher than expected TL, while other fish tend to depict similar to lower TL compared to global averages from the literature. Based on prior knowledge of discard consumption in the same area, stable isotope mixing models congruently revealed that discards may represent substantial portions of the assimilated diet of most benthic invertebrate macrofauna, cephalopods and Chondrichthyes. We highlight limitations and challenges of currently used diet assessment techniques to study discard consumption and stress that understanding their reintegration in marine food webs is crucial in the context of an ecosystem approach to fisheries management and to better understand the functioning of marine ecosystems subject to fishing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin Lejeune
- Centre d’Ecologie et de Sciences de la Conservation, CNRS-MNHN-SU, Paris, France
- DECOD (Ecosystem Dynamics and Sustainability), IFREMER, INRAE, Institut Agro—Agrocampus Ouest, Lorient, France
- * E-mail:
| | - Dorothée Kopp
- DECOD (Ecosystem Dynamics and Sustainability), IFREMER, INRAE, Institut Agro—Agrocampus Ouest, Lorient, France
| | - Sonia Mehault
- DECOD (Ecosystem Dynamics and Sustainability), IFREMER, INRAE, Institut Agro—Agrocampus Ouest, Lorient, France
| | - Maud Aline Mouchet
- Centre d’Ecologie et de Sciences de la Conservation, CNRS-MNHN-SU, Paris, France
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Hayden B, Kovačić M, Kirinčić M, Marčić Z. Comparative trophic ecology of microhabitat-associated guilds of reef fishes in the Adriatic Sea. JOURNAL OF FISH BIOLOGY 2022. [PMID: 35578982 DOI: 10.1111/jfb.15101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2022] [Accepted: 05/12/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Reef ecosystems are characterized by highly heterogenous habitats and functionally diverse fish communities. Few studies have examined how functional diversity differs among habitats within these communities, i.e., species associated with a specific habitat may have similar trophic ecologies meaning that the functional diversity within the community is driven by habitat diversity or, conversely, high functional diversity within each habitat would indicate that resource segregation also occurs at the habitat level. We used stable isotope ratios of carbon and nitrogen to estimate trophic position, resource use and ontogenetic niche shifts of 15 reef fishes associated with four distinct habitat types (cryptobenthic, epibenthic sand, epibenthic rock and hyperbenthic) on the Croatian coast of the Adriatic Sea. Trophic ecology was quite similar across fish assemblages, but there was strong evidence of niche segregation among fish species within each assemblage showing high functional diversity within each microhabitat. The sampled fish community contained benthic and pelagic resource users, along with multiple intermediate generalists. Consumer stable isotope ratios revealed considerable interspecific variation in resource use among fishes within each habitat type. The cryptobenthic fishes were a notable exception to this trend with the narrow range of resource use values, indicating reliance of these species on a single resource. The greatest diversity of trophic positions within a guild was observed in cryptobenthic and rock-associated epibenthic fishes. The majority of observed ontogenetic variation in studied fish species reflected an increase in benthic resource use and trophic position. However, the degree of ontogenetic variation in trophic ecology of studied species, if present, was generally low, showing no dramatic change in the ecology of any species. The size structuring among guilds was considerable, with cryptobenthic fishes the smallest on average and hyperbenthic fishes the largest, despite guilds having similar ranges of trophic positions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian Hayden
- Biology Department, Canadian Rivers Institute, University of New Brunswick, Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada
| | | | | | - Zoran Marčić
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
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Ecological Traits and Trophic Plasticity in The Greater Pipefish Syngnathus acus in the NW Iberian Peninsula. BIOLOGY 2022; 11:biology11050712. [PMID: 35625444 PMCID: PMC9138823 DOI: 10.3390/biology11050712] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2022] [Revised: 04/25/2022] [Accepted: 05/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The great pipefish Syngnathus acus is one of the most representative European syngnathids, being highly associated with seagrass and macroalgal beds. Surprisingly, the ecology of this large ovoviviparous marine fish has received scanty attention. The population inhabiting three sites on Cíes Archipelago (Atlantic Islands National Park, NW Spain) was monitored in 2017–2018 for spatial and temporal changes in abundances, reproduction traits, trophic niche occupancy, and dietary regimes across reproduction states, through an isotopic (δ13C and δ15N) approach. Abundances were highly variable across seasons and sites, decreasing significantly from mid-autumn. The population consisted almost exclusively of large adults that migrate by the end of the breeding season, which extended from mid-spring to summer. Operational sex ratios suggest that the species is sex-role reversed. S. acus is a secondary consumer (Trophic position = 3.36 ± 0.05), preferring amphipods but displaying annual and seasonal dietary plasticity. Mature fish were less selective than immatures (especially females), with a higher preference for amphipods (36–68%) in the former. The second most-preferred prey were carideans, copepods, or isopods, depending on the year and the reproduction state. Overall, the wider trophic niches in females and immature specimens compared to males and mature fish would indicate a higher variability in both the use of prey resources and/or their origin. The present study highlights the trophic plasticity and unique features of S. acus population in the Cíes Archipelago, especially regarding the outstanding size of the fish and the exceptional occurrence of breeders.
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Chibowski P, Brzeziński M, Suska-Malawska M, Zub K. Diet/Hair and Diet/Faeces Trophic Discrimination Factors for Stable Carbon and Nitrogen Isotopes, and Hair Regrowth in the Yellow-Necked Mouse and Bank Vole. ANN ZOOL FENN 2022. [DOI: 10.5735/086.059.0115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/01/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Piotr Chibowski
- Faculty of Biology, Biological and Chemical Research Centre, University of Warsaw, Żwirki i Wigury 101, PL-02-089 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Marcin Brzeziński
- Faculty of Biology, Biological and Chemical Research Centre, University of Warsaw, Żwirki i Wigury 101, PL-02-089 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Małgorzata Suska-Malawska
- Faculty of Biology, Biological and Chemical Research Centre, University of Warsaw, Żwirki i Wigury 101, PL-02-089 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Karol Zub
- Mammal Research Institute, Polish Academy of Sciences, Stoczek 1, PL-17-230 Białowieża, Poland
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Reevaluating trophic discrimination factors (
Δδ
13
C
and
Δδ
15
N
) for diet reconstruction. ECOL MONOGR 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/ecm.1525] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
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Dalu T, Cuthbert RN, Moyo S, Wasserman RJ, Chari LD, Weyl OLF, Jackson MC. Invasive carp alter trophic niches of consumers and basal resources in African reservoirs. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 813:152625. [PMID: 34963595 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.152625] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2021] [Accepted: 12/19/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Environmental pollution and biological invasions are key drivers of biodiversity change. However, the effects of invasion and pollution on food webs remain largely unexplored. Here, we used stable isotopes to examine the effects of common carp Cyprinus carpio and pollution on trophic dynamics in six small reservoirs. Our results revealed that the trophic niche widths of invertebrates, vertebrates, and invasive carp did not significantly differ among reservoirs with different pollution statuses. However, we found low niche conservatism among reservoirs, suggesting that while niche width may remain consistent, there is a shift in the position of the niches in isotopic space under both pollution and invasion scenarios. Niche conservatism among reservoirs was generally higher in invertebrates, but this was also regardless of reservoir condition (i.e. presence or absence of pollution and invasion). These results suggest that invasion by species coupled with organic pollution may cause subtle yet differing effects on components of a food web (basal end-members, invertebrates and vertebrates). Our findings provide a baseline measure of the potential in the development of detection and response strategies for carp invasions and organic pollution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tatenda Dalu
- School of Biology and Environmental Sciences, University of Mpumalanga, Nelspruit 1200, South Africa; South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity, Makhanda 6140, South Africa; Wissenschaftskolleg zu Berlin Institute for Advanced Study, Berlin 14193, Germany.
| | - Ross N Cuthbert
- South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity, Makhanda 6140, South Africa; GEOMAR Helmholtz-Zentrum für Ozeanforschung Kiel, 24105 Kiel, Germany
| | - Sydney Moyo
- Department of Biology and Program in Environmental Studies and Sciences, Rhodes College, Memphis, TN 38112, USA
| | - Ryan J Wasserman
- Department of Zoology and Entomology, Rhodes University, Makhanda 6140, South Africa; South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity, Makhanda 6140, South Africa
| | - Lenin D Chari
- Department of Zoology and Entomology, Rhodes University, Makhanda 6140, South Africa; Centre for Biological Control, Department of Zoology and Entomology, Rhodes University, Makhanda 6140, South Africa
| | - Olaf L F Weyl
- South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity, Makhanda 6140, South Africa
| | - Michelle C Jackson
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3SZ, United Kingdom
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Alp M, Cucherousset J. Food webs speak of human impact: Using stable isotope-based tools to measure ecological consequences of environmental change. FOOD WEBS 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.fooweb.2021.e00218] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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McCormack MA, Nowlin WH, Dutton J. Effect of trophic position on mercury concentrations in bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) from the northern Gulf of Mexico. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2022; 204:112124. [PMID: 34571031 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2021.112124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2021] [Revised: 09/10/2021] [Accepted: 09/21/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Marine species from the Gulf of Mexico often have higher mercury (Hg) concentrations than conspecifics in the Atlantic Ocean. Spatial differences in Hg sources, environmental conditions, and microbial communities influence both Hg methylation rates and the bioavailability of Hg to organisms at the base of the food web. Mercury bioaccumulates within organisms and biomagnifies in marine food webs, and therefore reaches the greatest concentrations in long-lived marine carnivores, such as dolphins. In this study, we explored whether differences in trophic position and foraging habitat among bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) from the northern Gulf of Mexico (nGoM) contributed to the observed variation in skin total Hg (THg) concentrations. Using the δ13C and δ34S values in dolphin skin, we assigned deceased stranded dolphins from Florida (FL; n = 29) and Louisiana (LA; n = 72) to habitats (estuarine, barrier island, and coastal) east and west of the Mississippi River Delta (MRD). We estimated the mean trophic position of dolphins from each habitat using δ15N values from stranded dolphin skin and tissues of primary consumers taken from the literature following a Bayesian framework. Finally, we compared trophic positions and THg concentrations among dolphins from each habitat, accounting for sex and body length. Estimated marginal mean THg concentrations (μg/g dry weight) were greatest in dolphins assigned to the coastal habitat and estuarine habitats east of the MRD (range: 2.59-4.81), and lowest in dolphins assigned to estuarine and barrier island habitats west of the MRD (range: 0.675-0.993). On average, dolphins from habitats with greater THg concentrations also had higher estimated trophic positions, except for coastal dolphins. Our results suggest that differences in trophic positions and foraging habitats contribute to spatial variability in skin THg concentrations among nGoM bottlenose dolphins, however, the relative influence of these factors on THg concentrations are not easily partitioned.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meaghan A McCormack
- Department of Biology, Texas State University, Aquatic Station, San Marcos, TX, 78666, USA.
| | - Weston H Nowlin
- Department of Biology, Texas State University, Aquatic Station, San Marcos, TX, 78666, USA.
| | - Jessica Dutton
- Department of Biology, Texas State University, Aquatic Station, San Marcos, TX, 78666, USA.
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Zapata-Hernández G, Sellanes J, Muñoz P. Stable isotopes reveal overlooked incorporation of diffuse land-based sources of nutrients and organic matter by intertidal communities at Rapa Nui (Easter Island). MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2022; 176:113415. [PMID: 35193005 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2022.113415] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2021] [Revised: 12/31/2021] [Accepted: 01/30/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Rapa Nui is an important hotspot of endemic marine biodiversity, where diffuse land-based sources (e.g., nutrients and organic matter) entering into coastal waters could develop eutrophication in coastal environments, with deleterious impacts on the marine ecosystem. Stable isotopes (δ13C and δ15N) of intertidal communities (macroalgae and invertebrates) were studied from sites with contrasting human influence (populated and unpopulated), to evaluate the incorporation and transfer of diffuse land-based sources through food webs. Macroalgae showed differences between some sites, and invertebrates showed a 15N-enrichment pattern at populated areas relative to unpopulated, being these differences significant in gastropods, barnacles and sea urchins. Moreover, trophic structure metrics suggest a higher trophic diversity in populated areas relative to unpopulated and support the isotopic partitioning between sites, associated with the incorporation of sources with 15N-enriched values. The above suggests that diffuse land-based sources could be incorporated by macroalgae, transferred into benthic consumers, and altering the trophic structure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Germán Zapata-Hernández
- Departamento de Biología Marina, Facultad de Ciencias del Mar, Universidad Católica del Norte, Coquimbo, Chile.; Center for Ecology and Sustainable Management of Oceanic Islands (ESMOI), Facultad de Ciencias del Mar, Universidad Católica del Norte, Coquimbo, Chile..
| | - Javier Sellanes
- Departamento de Biología Marina, Facultad de Ciencias del Mar, Universidad Católica del Norte, Coquimbo, Chile.; Center for Ecology and Sustainable Management of Oceanic Islands (ESMOI), Facultad de Ciencias del Mar, Universidad Católica del Norte, Coquimbo, Chile
| | - Práxedes Muñoz
- Departamento de Biología Marina, Facultad de Ciencias del Mar, Universidad Católica del Norte, Coquimbo, Chile
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Di Muri C, Rosati I, Bardelli R, Cilenti L, Li Veli D, Falco S, Vizzini S, Katselis G, Kevrekidis K, Glamuzina L, Mancinelli G. An individual-based dataset of carbon and nitrogen isotopic data of Callinectes sapidus in invaded Mediterranean waters. Biodivers Data J 2022; 10:e77516. [PMID: 35115881 PMCID: PMC8807565 DOI: 10.3897/bdj.10.e77516] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2021] [Accepted: 01/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The characterisation of functional traits of non-indigenous and invasive species is crucial to assess their impact within invaded habitats. Successful biological invasions are often facilitated by the generalist diet of the invaders which can modify their trophic position and adapt to new ecosystems determining changes in their structure and functioning. Invasive crustaceans are an illustrative example of such mechanisms since their trophic habits can determine important ecological impacts on aquatic food webs. The Atlantic blue crab Callinectessapidus is currently established and considered invasive in the Mediterranean Sea where it has been recorded for the first time between 1947 and 1949. In the last decade, the blue crab colonised most of the eastern and central Mediterranean Sea and the Black Sea and it is currently widening its distribution towards the western region of the basin. New information Stable isotope analysis is increasingly used to investigate the trophic habits of invasive marine species. Here, we collated individual measures of the blue crab δ13C and δ15N values and of its potential invertebrate prey into a geo-referenced dataset. The dataset includes 360 records with 236 isotopic values of the blue crab and 224 isotopic data of potential prey collected from five countries and 12 locations between 2014 and 2019. This dataset allows the estimation of the trophic position of the blue crab within a variety of invaded ecosystems, as well as advanced quantitative comparisons of the main features of its isotopic niche.
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Climatic drivers and ecological impacts of a rapid range expansion by non-native smallmouth bass. Biol Invasions 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s10530-021-02724-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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Dodino S, Riccialdelli L, Polito MJ, Pütz K, Brasso RL, Raya Rey A. Mercury exposure driven by geographic and trophic factors in Magellanic penguins from Tierra del Fuego. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2022; 174:113184. [PMID: 34856432 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2021.113184] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2021] [Revised: 11/16/2021] [Accepted: 11/20/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Penguins accumulate mercury due to their long-life span together with their high trophic position. We sampled adult and juveniles' feathers from three colonies of Spheniscus magellanicus from Tierra del Fuego along an inshore-offshore corridor. We integrated toxicological information (mercury concentrations) and foraging biomarkers (δ13C, δ15N) into a common data analysis framework (isotopic niche analysis) to evaluate the influence of age, location, and foraging behaviors on mercury concentrations. Adults had higher feather mercury concentrations, δ13C, and δ15N values compared to juveniles. Also, adult and juvenile feather mercury concentrations differed between colonies, with lower mercury concentrations at the nearest inshore colony relative to the farther offshore colonies. Trophic position and the isotopic niche analyses suggest that this geographic gradient in mercury concentrations is due to differences in colonies' foraging areas. Understanding penguins' exposure to mercury derived from local food webs is a crucial first step in evaluating the impacts of this heavy metal on their conservation status.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samanta Dodino
- Ecología y Conservación de Vida Silvestre, Centro Austral de Investigaciones Científicas, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego, Argentina.
| | - Luciana Riccialdelli
- Ecología y Conservación de Vida Silvestre, Centro Austral de Investigaciones Científicas, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego, Argentina
| | - Michael J Polito
- Department of Oceanography and Coastal Sciences, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, United States of America
| | | | | | - Andrea Raya Rey
- Ecología y Conservación de Vida Silvestre, Centro Austral de Investigaciones Científicas, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego, Argentina; Instituto de Ciencias Polares, Ambiente y Recursos Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Tierra del Fuego, Ushuaia, Argentina; Wildlife Conservation Society, Buenos Aires, Argentina
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Urbano VDA, Delanira-Santos D, Benedito E. The role of cladocerans in green and brown food web coupling. IHERINGIA. SERIE ZOOLOGIA 2022. [DOI: 10.1590/1678-4766e2022022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
ABSTRACT Cladocerans, an important zooplankton community, are consumers from the base of the food web of aquatic environments. We investigated the contribution of producers (phytoplankton and periphytic biofilm) and particulate organic carbon (POC). Collections were carried out in lakes of the Upper Paraná River Floodplain, the last stretch free of dams in the second-largest South American basin. Isotope ratios (δ13C and δ15N) were measured, besides the contributions of probable food sources to the cladocerans biomass. The phytoplankton constituted the source of carbon for cladocerans, followed by POC. Thus this work, in addition to emphasizing the importance of cladocerans in nutrient cycling, highlighted the need for the conservation of environments surrounding the lakes as they are the sources of organic matter for aquatic communities. Besides, the analyzed zooplanktonic organisms demonstrated their role in the interconnection between the green and brown food webs, which have been studied separately for a long time.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Driele Delanira-Santos
- Universidade Estadual de Maringá, Brazil; Programa de Pós-graduação em Ecologia de Ambientes Aquáticos Continentais, Brazil
| | - Evanilde Benedito
- Universidade Estadual de Maringá, Brazil; Programa de Pós-graduação em Ecologia de Ambientes Aquáticos Continentais, Brazil
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Roberts KN, Lund T, Hayden B, Poesch M. Season and species influence stable isotope ratios between lethally and non-lethally sampled tissues in freshwater fish. JOURNAL OF FISH BIOLOGY 2022; 100:229-241. [PMID: 34739138 DOI: 10.1111/jfb.14939] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2021] [Revised: 10/25/2021] [Accepted: 11/01/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
The field of stable isotope ecology is moving away from lethal sampling (internal organs and muscle) towards non-lethal sampling (fins, scales and epidermal mucus). Lethally and non-lethally sampled tissues often differ in their stable isotope ratios due to differences in metabolic turnover rate and isotopic routing. If not accounted for when using non-lethal tissues, these differences may result in inaccurate estimates of resource use and trophic position derived from stable isotopes. To address this, the authors tested whether tissue type, season and their interaction influence the carbon and nitrogen stable isotope ratios of fishes and whether estimates of species trophic position and resource use are affected by tissue type, season and their interaction. This study developed linear conversion relationships between two fin types and dorsal muscle, accounting for seasonal variation. The authors focused on three common temperate freshwater fishes: northern pike Esox lucius, yellow perch Perca flavescens and lake whitefish Coregonus clupeaformis. They found that fins were enriched in 13 C and depleted in 15 N compared to muscle in all three species, but the effect of season and the interaction between tissue type and season were species and isotope dependent. The estimates of littoral resource use based on fin isotope ratios were between 13% and 36% greater than those based on muscle across species. Season affected this difference for some species, suggesting the potential importance of using season-specific conversions when working with non-lethal tissues. Fin and muscle stable isotopes produced similar estimates of trophic position for northern pike and yellow perch, but fin-based estimates were 0.2-0.4 trophic positions higher than muscle-based estimates for lake whitefish. The effect of season was negligible for estimates of trophic position in all species. Strong correlations existed between fin and muscle δ13 C and δ15 N values for all three species; thus, linear conversion relationships were developed. The results of this study support the use of non-lethal sampling in stable isotope studies of fishes. The authors suggest that researchers use tissue conversion relationships and account for seasonal variation in these relationships when differences between non-lethal tissues and muscle, and seasonal effects on those differences, are large relative to the scale of isotope values under investigation and/or the trophic discrimination factors under use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karling N Roberts
- Department of Renewable Resources, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Taylor Lund
- Department of Renewable Resources, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Brian Hayden
- Canadian Rivers Institute, Biology Department, University of New Brunswick, Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada
| | - Mark Poesch
- Department of Renewable Resources, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
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Riekenberg PM, Camalich J, Svensson E, IJsseldijk LL, Brasseur SMJM, Witbaard R, Leopold MF, Rebolledo EB, Middelburg JJ, van der Meer MTJ, Sinninghe Damsté JS, Schouten S. Reconstructing the diet, trophic level and migration pattern of mysticete whales based on baleen isotopic composition. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2021; 8:210949. [PMID: 34909214 PMCID: PMC8652277 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.210949] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2021] [Accepted: 10/28/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Baleen from mysticete whales is a well-preserved proteinaceous material that can be used to identify migrations and feeding habits for species whose migration pathways are unknown. Analysis of δ13C and δ15N values from bulk baleen have been used to infer migration patterns for individuals. However, this approach has fallen short of identifying migrations between regions as it is difficult to determine variations in isotopic shifts without temporal sampling of prey items. Here, we apply analysis of δ15N values of amino acids to five baleen plates belonging to three species, revealing novel insights on trophic position, metabolic state and migration between regions. Humpback and minke whales had higher reconstructed trophic levels than fin whales (3.7-3.8 versus 3-3.2, respectively) as expected due to different feeding specialization. Isotopic niche areas between baleen minima and maxima were well separated, indicating regional resource use for individuals during migration that aligned with isotopic gradients in Atlantic Ocean particulate organic matter. Phenylanine δ15N values confirmed regional separation between the niche areas for two fin whales as migrations occurred and elevated glycine and threonine δ15N values suggested physiological changes due to fasting. Simultaneous resolution of trophic level and physiological changes allow for identification of regional migrations in mysticetes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philip M. Riekenberg
- Department of Marine Microbiology and Biogeochemistry, NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, PO Box 59, Den Hoorn 1790AB, The Netherlands
| | - Jaime Camalich
- Department of Marine Microbiology and Biogeochemistry, NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, PO Box 59, Den Hoorn 1790AB, The Netherlands
| | - Elisabeth Svensson
- Department of Marine Microbiology and Biogeochemistry, NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, PO Box 59, Den Hoorn 1790AB, The Netherlands
| | - Lonneke L. IJsseldijk
- Division of Pathology, Department of Biomolecular Health Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Yalelaan 1, 3854 CL Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Sophie M. J. M. Brasseur
- Wageningen Marine Research, Wageningen University and Research, PO Box 57, 1780 AB Den Helder, The Netherlands
| | - Rob Witbaard
- Department of Estuarine and Delta Systems, NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, and Utrecht University, PO Box 140, 4400 AC Yerseke, The Netherlands
| | - Mardik F. Leopold
- Wageningen Marine Research, Wageningen University and Research, PO Box 57, 1780 AB Den Helder, The Netherlands
| | - Elisa Bravo Rebolledo
- Wageningen Marine Research, Wageningen University and Research, PO Box 57, 1780 AB Den Helder, The Netherlands
| | - Jack J. Middelburg
- Department of Earth Sciences, Faculty of Geosciences, Utrecht University, Princetonlaan 8a, 3584 CB Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Marcel T. J. van der Meer
- Department of Marine Microbiology and Biogeochemistry, NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, PO Box 59, Den Hoorn 1790AB, The Netherlands
| | - Jaap S. Sinninghe Damsté
- Department of Marine Microbiology and Biogeochemistry, NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, PO Box 59, Den Hoorn 1790AB, The Netherlands
- Department of Earth Sciences, Faculty of Geosciences, Utrecht University, Princetonlaan 8a, 3584 CB Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Stefan Schouten
- Department of Marine Microbiology and Biogeochemistry, NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, PO Box 59, Den Hoorn 1790AB, The Netherlands
- Department of Earth Sciences, Faculty of Geosciences, Utrecht University, Princetonlaan 8a, 3584 CB Utrecht, The Netherlands
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Metabarcoding, direct stomach observation and stable isotope analysis reveal a highly diverse diet for the invasive green crab in Atlantic Patagonia. Biol Invasions 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s10530-021-02659-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
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