The Experts below are selected from a list of 228 Experts worldwide ranked by ideXlab platform
Brad A. Seibel - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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Voyage of the argonauts in the pelagic realm: physiological and behavioural ecology of the rare paper nautilus, Argonauta nouryi
ICES Journal of Marine Science, 2010Co-Authors: Rui Rosa, Brad A. SeibelAbstract:Abstract Rosa, R., and Seibel, B. A. 2010. Voyage of the argonauts in the pelagic realm: physiological and behavioural ecology of the rare paper nautilus, Argonauta nouryi. – ICES Journal of Marine Science, 67: 1494–1500. The metabolic demands of a rare paper nautilus, Argonauta nouryi, in the eastern tropical Pacific (ETP) are evaluated. After adjusting for temperature and size, the rates of Oxygen consumption and of aerobic and anaerobic metabolic potential (as evidenced by citrate synthase and octopine dehydrogenase activities, respectively) of A. nouryi were much higher than those in holopelagic octopods that exhibit float-and-wait predation strategies. In fact, the rates were similar to those found in small epipelagic squids and benthic octopods. The critical Oxygen partial pressure was 4.9 kPa at 20°C, suggesting that the strong Oxygen Minimum Layer found at intermediate depths in the ETP may constrain the vertical distribution of A. nouryi to the upper few metres of the water column. We also report the occurrence of a chain of shelled females at the surface, in which each animal was attached, as if on the benthos, to the next individual in the chain. Although it may constitute an effective strategy to increase the rates of mate encounter in the vast open ocean, there may be an important ecological trade-off for such behaviour, namely the increase in visibility at the surface with concomitant attraction of predators.
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synergistic effects of climate related variables suggest future physiological impairment in a top oceanic predator
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 2008Co-Authors: Rui Rosa, Brad A. SeibelAbstract:By the end of this century, anthropogenic carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions are expected to decrease the surface ocean pH by as much as 0.3 unit. At the same time, the ocean is expected to warm with an associated expansion of the Oxygen Minimum Layer (OML). Thus, there is a growing demand to understand the response of the marine biota to these global changes. We show that ocean acidification will substantially depress metabolic rates (31%) and activity levels (45%) in the jumbo squid, Dosidicus gigas, a top predator in the Eastern Pacific. This effect is exacerbated by high temperature. Reduced aerobic and locomotory scope in warm, high-CO2 surface waters will presumably impair predator–prey interactions with cascading consequences for growth, reproduction, and survival. Moreover, as the OML shoals, squids will have to retreat to these shallower, less hospitable, waters at night to feed and repay any Oxygen debt that accumulates during their diel vertical migration into the OML. Thus, we demonstrate that, in the absence of adaptation or horizontal migration, the synergism between ocean acidification, global warming, and expanding hypoxia will compress the habitable depth range of the species. These interactions may ultimately define the long-term fate of this commercially and ecologically important predator.
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Vampire blood: respiratory physiology of the vampire squid (Cephalopoda: Vampyromorpha) in relation to the Oxygen Minimum Layer
Experimental Biology Online, 1999Co-Authors: Brad A. Seibel, Fabienne Chausson, Francois H. Lallier, James J. ChildressAbstract:The functional properties of the haemocyanin of Vampyroteuthis infernalis (Cephalopoda: Vampyromorpha), measured at 5 °C, are reported and discussed in relation to hypoxia. The Oxygen affinity of this haemocyanin ( P _50=0.47−0.55 kPa) is higher than any previously measured for a cephalopod. The high cooperativity ( n _50=2.20−2.23) and Bohr coefficient (−0.22) suggest a true transport function for this haemocyanin. This high-affinity haemocyanin, in conjunction with moderate gill diffusion capacity, provides a sufficient Oxygen gradient from the environment to the blood to support the low routine Oxygen consumption rate of V. infernalis
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Flight of the vampire: ontogenetic gait-transition in vampyroteuthis infernalis (Cephalopoda: vampyromorpha)
The Journal of Experimental Biology, 1998Co-Authors: Brad A. Seibel, Erik V. Thuesen, James J. ChildressAbstract:Vampyroteuthis infernalis is a cosmopolitan cephalopod that lives in the Oxygen Minimum Layer between 600 and 800 m depth. Morphometric and physiological studies have indicated that V. infernalis has little capacity for jet propulsion and has the lowest metabolic rate ever measured for a cephalopod. Because fin swimming is inherently more efficient than jet propulsion, some of the reduction in energy usage relative to other cephalopods may result from the use of fins as the primary means of propulsion. V. infernalis undergoes a rapid metamorphosis which consists of changes in the position, size and shape of the fins. This suggests that there are changes in the selective factors affecting locomotion through ontogeny. The present study describes these changes in relation to models for underwater 'flight'. Citrate synthase (CS) and octopine dehydrogenase (ODH) activities, indicative of aerobic and anaerobic metabolism, respectively, were measured in fin, mantle and arm tissue across a range of body size of four orders of magnitude. The low enzymatic activities in both posterior and anterior fin tissue and the relatively high activity in mantle muscle prior to metamorphosis indicate that jet propulsion using mantle contraction is the primary means of propulsion in juvenile V. infernalis. The increase in CS activity with size after metamorphosis suggests an increased use of the fins for lift-based propulsion. Fin swimming appears to be the primary means of propulsion at all adult sizes. The negative allometry of CS activity in mantle and arm muscle is consistent with the scaling of Oxygen consumption previously measured for V. infernalis and with the scaling of aerobic metabolism observed in most animals. The unusual positive allometry of fin muscle CS activity suggests that the use of fins is either relatively more important or more costly in larger animals. Positive scaling of ODH activity in all tissues suggests that fin propulsion, jet propulsion and medusoid 'bell-swimming' are all important for burst escape responses. Enzyme activities in Cirrothauma murrayi are consistent with fin-swimming observed from submersibles, while those in Opisthoteuthis californiana suggest a strong reliance on medusoid swimming using the arms. The transition from jet propulsion to paired-fin 'flight' with increasing body size in Vampyroteuthis infernalis appears functionally to be an ontogenetic 'gait-transition'.
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Decline in Pelagic Cephalopod Metabolism With Habitat Depth Reflects Differences in Locomotory Efficiency
The Biological bulletin, 1997Co-Authors: Brad A. Seibel, James J. Childress, Erik V. Thuesen, Laura A. GorodezkyAbstract:The metabolic rates of 33 species of pelagic cephalopods from California and Hawaii were measured and correlated with Minimum depth of occurrence. Mean metabolic rates ranged from 0.07 {mu}mol O2g-1 h-1 for the deep-living vampire squid, Vampyroteuthis infernalis, to 8.79 {mu}mol O2 g-1 h-1 for Gonatus onyx, a vertically migrating squid. An individual of V. infernalis, which lives within the Oxygen Minimum Layer off California, had the lowest mass-specific metabolic rate ever measured for a cephalopod (0.02 {mu}mol O2g-1 h-1, 1050 g wet weight). For species collected in sufficient quantity and size range, metabolism was related to body size. Critical partial pressures of Oxygen (Pc) were determined for Hawaiian and Californian cephalopods. Pc values for Hawaiian animals were considerably higher than for those taken off California, a trend that corresponds to the higher levels of environmental Oxygen in the Hawaiian waters. Buffering capacity ({beta}) of mantle muscle, assayed in eight cephalopod species, was used to estimate the capacity for glycolytic energy production. Mean {beta} ranged from 1.43 slykes for a bathypelagic octopod, Japetella heathi, to 77.08 slykes for an epipelagic squid. Sthenoteuthis oualaniensis. Significant declines with increasing depth of occurrence were observed for both metabolism and {beta}. The decline in metabolic parameters with depth is interpreted as a decreased reliance on locomotory abilities for predator/prey interactions in the light-limited deep sea. The decline in metabolism with depth observed for pelagic cephalopods was significantly steeper than that previously observed for either pelagic fishes or crustaceans. We suggest that since strong locomotory abilities are not a priority in the deep sea, deeper-living cephalopods may rely more heavily on means of locomotion that are more efficient than jet propulsion via mantle contractions--means such as fin swimming or medusoid swimming utilizing the arms and extensive webbing present in many deep-living species. The greater efficiency of deeper-living cephalopods may be responsible for the observation that the decline in metabolic rates with depth is more pronounced for pelagic cephalopods than for fishes or crustaceans.
Frédéric Ménard - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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a global meta analysis of marine predator nitrogen stable isotopes relationships between trophic structure and environmental conditions
Global Ecology and Biogeography, 2018Co-Authors: Heidi Pethybridge, John M Logan, Nathalie Bodin, Jock W. Young, Christopher J. Somes, Valerie Allain, Anne Lorrain, Anela C Choy, Frédéric MénardAbstract:Aim: We examined potential environmental drivers of broad-scale spatial patterns in the trophic structure of marine ecosystems as represented by nitrogen stable isotopes in globally distributed marine predators. Additionally, we assessed the effects of spatial scale on the predictive capabilities of environmental variables. Location: Global oceans. Time period: 2000 to 2015. Major taxa studied: Tunas: Thunnus albacares, Thunnus obesus, Thunnus alalunga. Methods: We undertook a global compilation and meta-analysis of the bulk nitrogen stable isotope ratios (δ15N values) of three tuna species (n = 4,281). After adjusting for regional variations in baseline δ15N values using a global ocean biogeochemistry model, generalized additive mixed models were employed to infer global-scale oceanographic controls of trophic structure, using cosmopolitan tuna species as a model. Results: For the three tuna species, variation in trophic position estimated using bulk δ15N values was largely explained by geographical location and the corresponding Oxygen Minimum Layer depth. Tuna trophic positions declined in areas with reduced Oxygen at depth. Food-chain length, as captured by maximum trophic position, was longer in areas of the western Pacific Ocean and shorter in the northern Atlantic and eastern Pacific Oceans. Trophic adaptability of the tuna predators, as indicated by intraspecific variability, was highest in the western and central Pacific Ocean and lowest in the northern Atlantic Ocean. Our analysis demonstrated that while tunas share similar functional trophic roles, deeper-foraging tuna species had higher trophic positions globally. The predictive capacity of environmental variables decreased at finer (regional) spatial scales. Main conclusions: Our work suggests that habitat compression resulting from the predicted global expansion of Oxygen Minimum zones with ocean warming will impact the trophic structure of marine food webs and the corresponding foraging habits of marine predators. Spatial scale analyses highlighted the importance of representing differences in regional ecological dynamics in global-scale trophic and ecosystem models.
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A global meta‐analysis of marine predator nitrogen stable isotopes: Relationships between trophic structure and environmental conditions
Global Ecology and Biogeography, 2018Co-Authors: Heidi Pethybridge, John M Logan, Nathalie Bodin, Jock W. Young, Christopher J. Somes, Valerie Allain, Anne Lorrain, Frédéric Ménard, C. Anela Choy, Clothilde LanglaisAbstract:Aim: We examined potential environmental drivers of broad-scale spatial patterns in the trophic structure of marine ecosystems as represented by nitrogen stable isotopes in globally distributed marine predators. Additionally, we assessed the effects of spatial scale on the predictive capabilities of environmental variables. Location: Global oceans. Time period: 2000 to 2015. Major taxa studied: Tunas: Thunnus albacares, Thunnus obesus, Thunnus alalunga. Methods: We undertook a global compilation and meta-analysis of the bulk nitrogen stable isotope ratios (δ15N values) of three tuna species (n = 4,281). After adjusting for regional variations in baseline δ15N values using a global ocean biogeochemistry model, generalized additive mixed models were employed to infer global-scale oceanographic controls of trophic structure, using cosmopolitan tuna species as a model. Results: For the three tuna species, variation in trophic position estimated using bulk δ15N values was largely explained by geographical location and the corresponding Oxygen Minimum Layer depth. Tuna trophic positions declined in areas with reduced Oxygen at depth. Food-chain length, as captured by maximum trophic position, was longer in areas of the western Pacific Ocean and shorter in the northern Atlantic and eastern Pacific Oceans. Trophic adaptability of the tuna predators, as indicated by intraspecific variability, was highest in the western and central Pacific Ocean and lowest in the northern Atlantic Ocean. Our analysis demonstrated that while tunas share similar functional trophic roles, deeper-foraging tuna species had higher trophic positions globally. The predictive capacity of environmental variables decreased at finer (regional) spatial scales. Main conclusions: Our work suggests that habitat compression resulting from the predicted global expansion of Oxygen Minimum zones with ocean warming will impact the trophic structure of marine food webs and the corresponding foraging habits of marine predators. Spatial scale analyses highlighted the importance of representing differences in regional ecological dynamics in global-scale trophic and ecosystem models.
Joseluis Blanco - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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interannual variability in the mesoscale distribution of the depth of the upper boundary of the Oxygen Minimum Layer off northern chile 18 24s implications for the pelagic system and biogeochemical cycling
Journal of Marine Research, 1999Co-Authors: Carmen E Morales, Samuel Hormazabal, Joseluis BlancoAbstract:The low Oxygen concentration (<2 ml L -1 ) at relatively shallow depths (<100 m) in the coastal upwelling zone and in the adjacent oceanic area is a distinct feature of the eastern boundary Humboldt Current System (HCS) off Peru and northern Chile; it affects the distribution of pelagic organisms and is associated with an important denitrification regime in the water column. Nevertheless, little information is available about the spatial and temporal variability in the distribution of the Oxygen Minimum Layer (OML) present in the HCS and the impact of its variability upon the pelagic system and biogeochemical cycles in the region. The present study reviews the oceanographic data obtained for the area off northern Chile (ca. 18 to 24S, out to 370 km), between 1980 and 1997, with the aim of characterizing the depth distribution of the upper boundary of the OML (1 ml L -1 iso-oxyline, representing also the oxycline) and investigating the association of its interannual variability with changes in coastal sea level and in the equatorial and local thermoclines. The depth of the upper boundary of the OML undergoes pronounced deepening during the occurrence of warm ENSO (El Nino Southern Oscillation) events over the whole area of study, and this, in turn, determines a condition of higher Oxygen concentrations in the top 100 m Layer. These changes follow closely the patterns of interannual variability in coastal sea level and depth of the thermocline in the area of study during the 1980-1997 period. Most of this variability can be accounted for, as expected from previous studies, by remote forcing originating in the equatorial zone of the Pacific Ocean, as evidenced from the significant correlation between the above local parameters and the interannual variability in the depth of the equatorial thermocline. The 1982-83 and 1997-98 El Nino events seemed to have been the most important ones in terms of their effects upon sea level and depth of the thermocline and oxycline off northern Chile. The potential impacts of the interannual changes in the depth of the upper boundary of the OML upon the pelagic system and biogeochemical cycling in the region are discussed.
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Interannual variability in the mesoscale distribution of the depth of the upper boundary of the Oxygen Minimum Layer off northern Chile (18-24S) : Implications for the pelagic system and biogeochemical cycling
Journal of Marine Research, 1999Co-Authors: Carmen E Morales, Samuel Hormazabal, Joseluis BlancoAbstract:The low Oxygen concentration (
Jock W. Young - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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a global meta analysis of marine predator nitrogen stable isotopes relationships between trophic structure and environmental conditions
Global Ecology and Biogeography, 2018Co-Authors: Heidi Pethybridge, John M Logan, Nathalie Bodin, Jock W. Young, Christopher J. Somes, Valerie Allain, Anne Lorrain, Anela C Choy, Frédéric MénardAbstract:Aim: We examined potential environmental drivers of broad-scale spatial patterns in the trophic structure of marine ecosystems as represented by nitrogen stable isotopes in globally distributed marine predators. Additionally, we assessed the effects of spatial scale on the predictive capabilities of environmental variables. Location: Global oceans. Time period: 2000 to 2015. Major taxa studied: Tunas: Thunnus albacares, Thunnus obesus, Thunnus alalunga. Methods: We undertook a global compilation and meta-analysis of the bulk nitrogen stable isotope ratios (δ15N values) of three tuna species (n = 4,281). After adjusting for regional variations in baseline δ15N values using a global ocean biogeochemistry model, generalized additive mixed models were employed to infer global-scale oceanographic controls of trophic structure, using cosmopolitan tuna species as a model. Results: For the three tuna species, variation in trophic position estimated using bulk δ15N values was largely explained by geographical location and the corresponding Oxygen Minimum Layer depth. Tuna trophic positions declined in areas with reduced Oxygen at depth. Food-chain length, as captured by maximum trophic position, was longer in areas of the western Pacific Ocean and shorter in the northern Atlantic and eastern Pacific Oceans. Trophic adaptability of the tuna predators, as indicated by intraspecific variability, was highest in the western and central Pacific Ocean and lowest in the northern Atlantic Ocean. Our analysis demonstrated that while tunas share similar functional trophic roles, deeper-foraging tuna species had higher trophic positions globally. The predictive capacity of environmental variables decreased at finer (regional) spatial scales. Main conclusions: Our work suggests that habitat compression resulting from the predicted global expansion of Oxygen Minimum zones with ocean warming will impact the trophic structure of marine food webs and the corresponding foraging habits of marine predators. Spatial scale analyses highlighted the importance of representing differences in regional ecological dynamics in global-scale trophic and ecosystem models.
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A global meta‐analysis of marine predator nitrogen stable isotopes: Relationships between trophic structure and environmental conditions
Global Ecology and Biogeography, 2018Co-Authors: Heidi Pethybridge, John M Logan, Nathalie Bodin, Jock W. Young, Christopher J. Somes, Valerie Allain, Anne Lorrain, Frédéric Ménard, C. Anela Choy, Clothilde LanglaisAbstract:Aim: We examined potential environmental drivers of broad-scale spatial patterns in the trophic structure of marine ecosystems as represented by nitrogen stable isotopes in globally distributed marine predators. Additionally, we assessed the effects of spatial scale on the predictive capabilities of environmental variables. Location: Global oceans. Time period: 2000 to 2015. Major taxa studied: Tunas: Thunnus albacares, Thunnus obesus, Thunnus alalunga. Methods: We undertook a global compilation and meta-analysis of the bulk nitrogen stable isotope ratios (δ15N values) of three tuna species (n = 4,281). After adjusting for regional variations in baseline δ15N values using a global ocean biogeochemistry model, generalized additive mixed models were employed to infer global-scale oceanographic controls of trophic structure, using cosmopolitan tuna species as a model. Results: For the three tuna species, variation in trophic position estimated using bulk δ15N values was largely explained by geographical location and the corresponding Oxygen Minimum Layer depth. Tuna trophic positions declined in areas with reduced Oxygen at depth. Food-chain length, as captured by maximum trophic position, was longer in areas of the western Pacific Ocean and shorter in the northern Atlantic and eastern Pacific Oceans. Trophic adaptability of the tuna predators, as indicated by intraspecific variability, was highest in the western and central Pacific Ocean and lowest in the northern Atlantic Ocean. Our analysis demonstrated that while tunas share similar functional trophic roles, deeper-foraging tuna species had higher trophic positions globally. The predictive capacity of environmental variables decreased at finer (regional) spatial scales. Main conclusions: Our work suggests that habitat compression resulting from the predicted global expansion of Oxygen Minimum zones with ocean warming will impact the trophic structure of marine food webs and the corresponding foraging habits of marine predators. Spatial scale analyses highlighted the importance of representing differences in regional ecological dynamics in global-scale trophic and ecosystem models.
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The biological oceanography of the East Australian Current and surrounding waters in relation to tuna and billfish catches off eastern Australia
Deep Sea Research Part II: Topical Studies in Oceanography, 2011Co-Authors: Jock W. Young, Alistair J. Hobday, Robert A. Campbell, Rudy J. Kloser, P.i. Bonham, Lesley Clementson, M.j. LansdellAbstract:The surface and sub-surface biological oceanography of tuna fishing grounds within the East Australian Current (EAC) was compared in 2004 with two other fishing areas further offshore. Our aim was to determine whether the biological oceanography of the region could explain the distribution and intensity of pelagic fishery catches inside and outside the EAC at that time. The EAC fishing area was noticeably warmer, less saline and lower in nutrients than waters in the other fishing areas. The EAC waters were dominated by large diatoms, the biomass of which was significantly higher than in the seamount and offshore areas, apparently the result of a cold core eddy beneath the EAC surface filament. Over the seamount and offshore more typical Tasman Sea waters prevailed, although the presence of a relatively deeper Oxygen Minimum Layer over the seamount suggested topographically induced mixing in the area. Notably, sub-surface zooplankton and micronekton biomass was significantly higher around the seamount than in the two other areas. The offshore region was characterised by frontal activity associated with the Tasman front. Micronekton net biomass was generally highest in surface waters in this region. Examination of tuna catch records at that time showed yellowfin tuna (Thunnus albacares) dominated the catches of the EAC, whereas swordfish (Xiphias gladius) and bigeye tuna (Thunnus obesus) were the main species caught offshore. We suggest the yellowfin tuna concentrate in waters that are not only warmer but where prey species are concentrated near the surface. Offshore, deeper living species such as swordfish and bigeye tuna (T. obesus) can take advantage of prey species that are distributed deeper in the water column and along the flanks of the many seamounts in the region, or that are concentrated at fronts associated with the Tasman Front. Although only a snapshot of the region, relatively consistent catch data over time suggests the underlying biological oceanography may persist over longer time periods, particularly during the Austral spring.
Heidi Pethybridge - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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a global meta analysis of marine predator nitrogen stable isotopes relationships between trophic structure and environmental conditions
Global Ecology and Biogeography, 2018Co-Authors: Heidi Pethybridge, John M Logan, Nathalie Bodin, Jock W. Young, Christopher J. Somes, Valerie Allain, Anne Lorrain, Anela C Choy, Frédéric MénardAbstract:Aim: We examined potential environmental drivers of broad-scale spatial patterns in the trophic structure of marine ecosystems as represented by nitrogen stable isotopes in globally distributed marine predators. Additionally, we assessed the effects of spatial scale on the predictive capabilities of environmental variables. Location: Global oceans. Time period: 2000 to 2015. Major taxa studied: Tunas: Thunnus albacares, Thunnus obesus, Thunnus alalunga. Methods: We undertook a global compilation and meta-analysis of the bulk nitrogen stable isotope ratios (δ15N values) of three tuna species (n = 4,281). After adjusting for regional variations in baseline δ15N values using a global ocean biogeochemistry model, generalized additive mixed models were employed to infer global-scale oceanographic controls of trophic structure, using cosmopolitan tuna species as a model. Results: For the three tuna species, variation in trophic position estimated using bulk δ15N values was largely explained by geographical location and the corresponding Oxygen Minimum Layer depth. Tuna trophic positions declined in areas with reduced Oxygen at depth. Food-chain length, as captured by maximum trophic position, was longer in areas of the western Pacific Ocean and shorter in the northern Atlantic and eastern Pacific Oceans. Trophic adaptability of the tuna predators, as indicated by intraspecific variability, was highest in the western and central Pacific Ocean and lowest in the northern Atlantic Ocean. Our analysis demonstrated that while tunas share similar functional trophic roles, deeper-foraging tuna species had higher trophic positions globally. The predictive capacity of environmental variables decreased at finer (regional) spatial scales. Main conclusions: Our work suggests that habitat compression resulting from the predicted global expansion of Oxygen Minimum zones with ocean warming will impact the trophic structure of marine food webs and the corresponding foraging habits of marine predators. Spatial scale analyses highlighted the importance of representing differences in regional ecological dynamics in global-scale trophic and ecosystem models.
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A global meta‐analysis of marine predator nitrogen stable isotopes: Relationships between trophic structure and environmental conditions
Global Ecology and Biogeography, 2018Co-Authors: Heidi Pethybridge, John M Logan, Nathalie Bodin, Jock W. Young, Christopher J. Somes, Valerie Allain, Anne Lorrain, Frédéric Ménard, C. Anela Choy, Clothilde LanglaisAbstract:Aim: We examined potential environmental drivers of broad-scale spatial patterns in the trophic structure of marine ecosystems as represented by nitrogen stable isotopes in globally distributed marine predators. Additionally, we assessed the effects of spatial scale on the predictive capabilities of environmental variables. Location: Global oceans. Time period: 2000 to 2015. Major taxa studied: Tunas: Thunnus albacares, Thunnus obesus, Thunnus alalunga. Methods: We undertook a global compilation and meta-analysis of the bulk nitrogen stable isotope ratios (δ15N values) of three tuna species (n = 4,281). After adjusting for regional variations in baseline δ15N values using a global ocean biogeochemistry model, generalized additive mixed models were employed to infer global-scale oceanographic controls of trophic structure, using cosmopolitan tuna species as a model. Results: For the three tuna species, variation in trophic position estimated using bulk δ15N values was largely explained by geographical location and the corresponding Oxygen Minimum Layer depth. Tuna trophic positions declined in areas with reduced Oxygen at depth. Food-chain length, as captured by maximum trophic position, was longer in areas of the western Pacific Ocean and shorter in the northern Atlantic and eastern Pacific Oceans. Trophic adaptability of the tuna predators, as indicated by intraspecific variability, was highest in the western and central Pacific Ocean and lowest in the northern Atlantic Ocean. Our analysis demonstrated that while tunas share similar functional trophic roles, deeper-foraging tuna species had higher trophic positions globally. The predictive capacity of environmental variables decreased at finer (regional) spatial scales. Main conclusions: Our work suggests that habitat compression resulting from the predicted global expansion of Oxygen Minimum zones with ocean warming will impact the trophic structure of marine food webs and the corresponding foraging habits of marine predators. Spatial scale analyses highlighted the importance of representing differences in regional ecological dynamics in global-scale trophic and ecosystem models.
