Abiotic and biotic drivers of fatty acid tracers in ecology: A global analysis of chondrichthyan profiles

Meyer, Lauren; Pethybridge, Heidi; Nichols, Peter D.; Beckmann, Crystal; Huveneers, Charlie

doi:10.1111/1365-2435.13328

Cited by 43 publications

(48 citation statements)

References 74 publications

(129 reference statements)

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“…Additionally, the lack of change in biomarker profiles attributed to capture, regardless of whether it is due to their overall suitability as stress biomarkers or the proposed limited stress response, encourages the use of amino acids and FAs in white shark ecology. Both amino acids and FAs were influenced by abiotic (temperature) and biotic (size) factors, mirroring their more traditional use in chondrichthyan ecology (Munroe et al 2018, Meyer et al 2019. As such, research teams can confidently apply these biomarkers to questions of white shark diet and habitat use, without the need to incorporate variations in short capture duration, or when precise capture duration may be unknown.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 94%

“…Thus, it appears that amino acids and FAs could serve as informative indicators of the secondary stress response in sharks. While the capture of sharks and rays has been shown to influence blood glucose, lactate, and pH (Moyes et al 2006, Brooks et al 2012, Heard et al 2014, Jerome et al 2018, no studies have examined if capture influences amino acid and FA metabolism in sharks despite the growing popularity of these biomarkers in chondrichthyan ecology (Munroe et al 2018, Meyer et al 2019, leaving a gap in our understanding of how these analytes may be influenced by external stressors.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Effects of short-term capture on the physiology of white sharks Carcharodon carcharias: amino acids and fatty acids

Gallagher¹,

Meyer²,

Huveneers³

et al. 2019

Endang. Species. Res.

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Empirical evaluations of how overexploited marine fishes respond to capture stress (physiologically and behaviourally) have become increasingly important for informed fisheries management. These types of studies are, however, lacking for many protected species. Here, we conducted a novel study on the physiology of juvenile white sharks Carcharodon carcharias (139−325 cm fork length), a globally protected and ecologically important predator, in response to a standard fishery interaction using shark-management-alert-in-real-time (SMART) drumlines as part of a bather protection program. Specifically, we assessed the influence of short-term capture duration (average: ~30 min; range: 10−75 min) and other biological (size) and environmental (temperature) variables on blood plasma amino acids and fatty acids, which play essential roles as energy substrates as well as in maintaining physiological functions. None of the assessed amino acids or fatty acids were affected by capture duration, but some were influenced by shark size and water temperature. Our results support the notion that white shark physiology is robust to capture at short capture durations, which has important implications for the fate of released individuals.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 94%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of short-term capture on the physiology of white sharks Carcharodon carcharias: amino acids and fatty acids

Gallagher¹,

Meyer²,

Huveneers³

et al. 2019

Endang. Species. Res.

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show abstract

“…), as these data were not available for this study. Nonetheless, the data presented here provide the first insight into the trophic dynamics of sharks frequenting the First Coast and present a clear avenue for further work, which may combine data collection on other niche axes with innovative techniques such as compound‐specific SIA (Evershed et al ., ), fatty acid profiles (Meyer et al ., ; Pethybridge et al ., ) and genetic sequencing of faeces, to further explore the extent of trophic synonymy in First Coasts sharks.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 98%

Resource‐use dynamics of co‐occurring chondrichthyans from the First Coast, North Florida, USA

Morgan

Shipley

Gelsleichter

2020

Journal of Fish Biology

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Recent studies on shark assemblages on the northeast Florida and southeast Georgia coast (hereafter referred to collectively as the “First Coast”) have demonstrated differences in species and age‐class composition of catch from previously characterized estuaries and newly surveyed area beaches, demonstrating that these regions may provide a critical habitat to different segments (i.e., life stages) of local shark populations. In this study, carbon and nitrogen stable isotopes (δ13C and δ15N) from muscle tissue and blood plasma were used to examine trophic dynamics (and temporal variability thereof) of the three dominant co‐occurring species found along First Coast beaches (the Atlantic Sharpnose shark Rhizoprionodon terraenovae, Blacknose shark Carcharhinus acronotus and Blacktip shark Carcharhinus limbatus) to determine if they exhibit overlap in resource use along with spatial and temporal habitat use. Although considered spatially segregated from the beach species, a dominant, age‐class species found in First Coast estuaries (juvenile Sandbar sharks Carcharhinus plumbeus) was also included in this analysis for comparison. Temporal variability of resource‐use characteristics was detected at the species level. Resource‐use overlap among species varied by tissue type and was generally higher for blood plasma, suggesting greater resource sharing over more recent time periods. Over longer time periods Atlantic Sharpnose and Blacktip sharks exhibited resource‐use expansion, whereas Blacknose sharks exhibited a narrowing in resource use, suggesting a more specialized foraging strategy compared to the other species. The resource‐use breadth of Sandbar sharks also expanded between blood plasma and muscle tissue. Significant size relationships were detected in Blacktip and Sandbar sharks, indicating ontogenetic resource shifts for both species. A diversity of highly productive resource pools likely support shark populations along the First Coast such that resource‐use differentiation is not required to facilitate species co‐occurrence. This work may shed light on understanding patterns of species co‐occurrence as well as aid in future conservation efforts.

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“…In marine environments, many fatty acids have been identified as good tracers of distinct taxa. For example, 16:1n7 and 20:5n3 are indicators of first-order carnivores, 16:0, 18:0 and 22:6n3 of second-order carnivores, and 20:4n6 and 22:4n6 of top predators [38]. 18:0 is also an important tracer of herbivores, and 22:4n6 of planktivores [38].…”

Section: Plos Onementioning

confidence: 99%

“…In relation to fatty acids, marine heterotrophs are subject to biochemical limitations in biosynthesis and modification of carboxylic acids, and generally assimilate dietary fatty acids with little or no modification [37]. Many individual fatty acid tracers (e.g., 20:4n6, 20:5n3, 22:6n3) have been used to study trophic ecology and have revealed the overlapping influences of temperature, habitat, trophic guild and phylogeny (see Meyer et al [38]). Thus, by selecting an appropriate predator, stable isotopes and fatty acids could allow the estimation of trophic structure and its dynamics at multiple time scales.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Top predator reveals the stability of prey community in the western subarctic Pacific

Lin

Chen

2020

PLoS ONE

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The stability of the ecosystems depends on the dynamics of the prey community, but changes in the composition and abundance of prey species are poorly understood, especially in open ocean ecosystems. We used neon flying squid Ommastrephes bartramii, an active top predator, as a biological sampler to investigate the dynamics of the prey community in the southwestern part of the Western Subarctic Gyre in the northwestern Pacific Ocean. Squid were collected monthly from July to November 2016. There were no significant differences among months in stable isotopes (δ 13 C and δ 15 N) in the digestive gland, a fast turnover organ reflecting recent dietary information. Similar findings were obtained from analyses of isotopic niche width and fatty acid profiles. The potential influence of the environment (monthly mean sea surface temperature, SST, and chlorophyll-a, Chl-a) on the prey community was examined with SST and Chl-a both varying significantly among sampling months. We found little evidence for significant effects of SST and Chl-a on the isotopic values, nor on the fatty acid profiles except for 20:4n6 and 24:1n9. These lines of evidence indicate that the prey community in the southwestern part of the gyre remains stable, with little evidence for systematic changes at the community level. This study provides a novel understanding of the dynamics of the prey community and highlights the use of top predators to study the trophic dynamics of an oceanic system where a long-term scientific survey is unavailable.

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Abiotic and biotic drivers of fatty acid tracers in ecology: A global analysis of chondrichthyan profiles

Cited by 43 publications

References 74 publications

Effects of short-term capture on the physiology of white sharks Carcharodon carcharias: amino acids and fatty acids

Effects of short-term capture on the physiology of white sharks Carcharodon carcharias: amino acids and fatty acids

Resource‐use dynamics of co‐occurring chondrichthyans from the First Coast, North Florida, USA

Top predator reveals the stability of prey community in the western subarctic Pacific

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