Multi-decadal trends in biomarkers in harp seal teeth from the North Atlantic reveal the influence of prey availability on seal trophic position

de la Vega, Camille, Kershaw, Joanna, Stenson, Garry B, Frie, Anne Kirstine, Biuw, Martin, Haug, Tore, Norman, Louisa ORCID: 0000-0001-9720-4664, Mahaffey, Claire, Smout, Sophie and Jeffreys, Rachel M ORCID: 0000-0001-6114-2334 (2023) Multi-decadal trends in biomarkers in harp seal teeth from the North Atlantic reveal the influence of prey availability on seal trophic position. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY, 29 (19). pp. 5582-5595.

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Official URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/gcb.16889

Abstract

Arctic food webs are being impacted by borealisation and environmental change. To quantify the impact of these multiple forcings, it is crucial to accurately determine the temporal change in key ecosystem metrics, such as trophic position of top predators. Here, we measured stable nitrogen isotopes (δ<sup>15</sup> N) in amino acids in harp seal teeth from across the North Atlantic spanning a period of 60 years to robustly assess multi-decadal trends in harp seal trophic position, accounting for changes in δ<sup>15</sup> N at the base of the food web. We reveal long-term variations in trophic position of harp seals which are likely to reflect fluctuations in prey availability, specifically fish- or invertebrate-dominated diets. We show that the temporal trends in harp seal trophic position differ between the Northwest Atlantic, Greenland Sea and Barents Sea, suggesting divergent changes in each local ecosystem. Our results provide invaluable data for population dynamic and ecotoxicology studies.

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	amino acids, Barents Sea, Greenland Sea, harp seals, Labrador Sea, multi-decadal trends, stable nitrogen isotopes, trophic position
Divisions:	Faculty of Science and Engineering > School of Environmental Sciences
Depositing User:	Symplectic Admin
Date Deposited:	20 Jul 2023 07:23
Last Modified:	05 Oct 2023 08:02
DOI:	10.1111/gcb.16889
Related URLs:	Author Publisher
URI:	https://livrepository.liverpool.ac.uk/id/eprint/3171715