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dc.contributor.authorKershaw, Joanna Louise
dc.contributor.authorde la Vega, Camille
dc.contributor.authorJeffreys, Rachel
dc.contributor.authorFrie, Anne Kristine
dc.contributor.authorHaug, Tore
dc.contributor.authorMahaffey, Claire
dc.contributor.authorMettam, Colin
dc.contributor.authorStenson, Garry
dc.contributor.authorSmout, Sophie Caroline
dc.date.accessioned2022-11-11T00:43:18Z
dc.date.available2022-11-11T00:43:18Z
dc.date.issued2021-11-11
dc.identifier275527369
dc.identifiera0f42e4b-3638-438e-a8bd-7d04fb1adb08
dc.identifier85125440502
dc.identifier000720333500015
dc.identifier.citationKershaw , J L , de la Vega , C , Jeffreys , R , Frie , A K , Haug , T , Mahaffey , C , Mettam , C , Stenson , G & Smout , S C 2021 , ' Compound specific isotope analyses of harp seal teeth : tools for trophic ecology reconstruction ' , Marine Ecology Progress Series , vol. 678 , pp. 211-225 . https://doi.org/10.3354/meps13867en
dc.identifier.issn0171-8630
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/10023/26370
dc.descriptionFunding: This work resulted from the ARISE project (NE/P006035/1 awarded to CM and RJ, and NE/P00623X/1 awarded to SS), part of the Changing Arctic Ocean programme, funded by the UKRI Natural Environment Research Council (NERC).en
dc.description.abstractAs sentinels of ecosystem health, high trophic level predators integrate information through all levels of the food web. Their tissues can be used to investigate spatiotemporal variability in foraging behaviour, and with the appropriate analytical methods and tools, archived samples can be used to reconstruct past trophic interactions. Harp seal (Pagophilus groenlandicus) teeth collected in the 1990s from the Northwest Atlantic were analysed for bulk stable carbon and nitrogen isotopes (δ13Cbulk and δ15Nbulk), and compound specific stable nitrogen isotopes of amino acids (δ15NAA) for the first time. We developed a fine-scale, annual growth layer group (GLG) dentine sub-sampling method corresponding to their second and third year of life. In accordance with previous diet studies, while there was individual variability in δ15Nbulk, δ13Cbulk, and δ15NAA measurements, we did not detect significant differences in isotopic niche widths between males and females, or between GLGs. Relative trophic position was calculated as the baseline corrected δ15NAA values using trophic (glutamic acid) and source (phenylalanine and glycine) amino acids. Variability was measured between individuals in their relative trophic position, but within individual variability was low, suggesting that they fed at the same trophic level over these 2 years of life. These novel δ15NAA data may therefore suggest individual, specialist harp seal foraging behaviour in sub-adults. Our findings show that compound specific stable isotope signatures of archived, inert predator tissues can be used as tools for the retrospective reconstruction of trophic interactions on broad spatiotemporal scales.
dc.format.extent15
dc.format.extent1258546
dc.language.isoeng
dc.relation.ispartofMarine Ecology Progress Seriesen
dc.subjectPhocid sealsen
dc.subjectForaging specialisationen
dc.subjectIsotopic nicheen
dc.subjectTrophic positionen
dc.subjectDieten
dc.subjectDentineen
dc.subjectInert tissuesen
dc.subjectQH301 Biologyen
dc.subjectAquatic Scienceen
dc.subjectEcology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematicsen
dc.subjectEcologyen
dc.subjectNDASen
dc.subjectNERCen
dc.subjectSDG 14 - Life Below Wateren
dc.subjectMCCen
dc.subject.lccQH301en
dc.titleCompound specific isotope analyses of harp seal teeth : tools for trophic ecology reconstructionen
dc.typeJournal articleen
dc.contributor.sponsorNERCen
dc.contributor.institutionUniversity of St Andrews. School of Biologyen
dc.contributor.institutionUniversity of St Andrews. Sea Mammal Research Uniten
dc.contributor.institutionUniversity of St Andrews. Scottish Oceans Instituteen
dc.contributor.institutionUniversity of St Andrews. Centre for Research into Ecological & Environmental Modellingen
dc.contributor.institutionUniversity of St Andrews. Coastal Resources Management Groupen
dc.identifier.doi10.3354/meps13867
dc.description.statusPeer revieweden
dc.date.embargoedUntil2022-11-11
dc.identifier.grantnumberNE/P00623X/1en


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