Assessment of inter-regional dietary differences in anadromous Arctic char (<i>Salvelinus alpinus</i>) in Nunavik, Canada, and links with flesh quality indicators

Bolduc, Sara; Lemire, Mélanie; Tremblay, Jean-Éric; Falardeau, Marianne; Dallaire, Xavier; Brochu, Mylène; Legros, Justine; Moore, Jean-Sébastien

doi:10.1139/as-2023-0018

Cited by 2 publications

References 95 publications

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You are the colour of what you eat: higher invertebrate consumption correlates with redder muscle pigmentation in anadromous Arctic char (Salvelinus alpinus) along western Hudson Bay, Nunavut, Canada

Faulkner,

Ittinuar,

Tartak

et al. 2024

Preprint

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Salmonid fishes exhibit marked intra-specific variation in muscle pigmentation. This variation is primarily due to individual differences in the accumulation and assimilation of dietary carotenoids synthesized by primary producers and microorganisms and present in the tissues of crustaceans that can serve as important prey for salmonids. Despite anadromous Arctic char (Salvelinus alpinus) being a key subsistence and economic resource across Inuit Nunangat, their muscle pigmentation in relation to diet and environmental variability (e.g., sea ice dynamics) has not been investigated. Using carotenoid spectrophotometry analysis and a muscle colour scale, we examined the influence of Arctic char diet, inferred from stomach contents, stable isotopes (δ15N), and highly branched isoprenoids on their muscle pigmentation, as well as muscle pigmentation of their prey near the communities of Rankin Inlet and Naujaat, Nunavut in two years (2021, 2022) with contrasting sea ice cover. Among prey types, invertebrates had higher carotenoid concentrations than fishes. Arctic char in Naujaat contained higher muscle carotenoid concentrations and redder muscle than in Rankin Inlet in 2021, associated with a higher invertebrate-based diet and more prevalent sea ice cover. In 2022, muscle carotenoid concentrations of Naujaat and Rankin Inlet Arctic char were similar, associated with a largely fish-based diet and similar sea ice cover, although muscle still remained redder in Naujaat Arctic char. Inter-annual variation in carotenoid concentration and muscle pigmentation associated with diet variability observed in this species may affect local resource users over the long-term due to unpredictable climate-driven environmental changes, resulting in socioeconomic impacts across the Arctic.

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You are the colour of what you eat: higher invertebrate consumption correlates with redder muscle pigmentation in anadromous Arctic char (Salvelinus alpinus) along western Hudson Bay, Nunavut, Canada

Faulkner,

Ittinuar,

Tartak

et al. 2024

Preprint

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A review of climate change impacts on migration patterns of marine vertebrates in Arctic and Subarctic ecosystems

Kuletz,

Ferguson,

Frederiksen

et al. 2024

Front. Environ. Sci.

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Climate change is impacting marine ecosystems throughout the circumpolar Arctic, altering seasonal habitats and the food bases for fishes, seabirds, and marine mammals. Arctic and Subarctic regions provide resources for resident species and for species that migrate to the north from more southerly regions. Changes in northerly latitudes thus impact endemic as well as non-endemic animals. Herein, we review what is known about climate-driven changes in the migration patterns of Arctic and Subarctic marine vertebrates, including: 1) Arctic residents with seasonal movements – those fishes, seabirds, and marine mammals that complete their entire life cycle within the Arctic but exhibit seasonal movements; 2) Breeding migrants – many seabirds enter the Arctic to breed and subsequently migrate south in the fall; and 3) Summer visitors for feeding – certain species of boreal fishes, seabirds and marine mammals arrive during the northern summer to feed on abundant prey though they breed elsewhere. Migratory movements are often driven by the timing and extent of sea ice, which defines suitable habitat for some animals and limits access to open water and prey for others. Longer open-water seasons, warmer ocean temperatures, and stronger winds have resulted in earlier production blooms in spring and often, extended open-ocean plankton blooms into late summer, resulting in altered prey types and distributions. A common thread among taxa is that shifts in distribution and timing of migrating animals indicate they are traveling farther north, or shifting longitudinally, and migrations are occurring over longer seasonal time frames. Species performing multiple lifetime migrations or long-distance migrants may need to adjust migration timing or routing iteratively to match changes in marine productivity. Altered animal distributions or phenology, and reduced sea ice, affects access to animals that are critical nutritional, economical, and cultural components of Indigenous people’s lives in the Arctic. Ongoing changes challenge the resilience and adaptability of Arctic people and ecosystems, and will require adaptive research and management approaches.

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Assessment of inter-regional dietary differences in anadromous Arctic char (Salvelinus alpinus) in Nunavik, Canada, and links with flesh quality indicators

Cited by 2 publications

References 95 publications

You are the colour of what you eat: higher invertebrate consumption correlates with redder muscle pigmentation in anadromous Arctic char (Salvelinus alpinus) along western Hudson Bay, Nunavut, Canada

You are the colour of what you eat: higher invertebrate consumption correlates with redder muscle pigmentation in anadromous Arctic char (Salvelinus alpinus) along western Hudson Bay, Nunavut, Canada

A review of climate change impacts on migration patterns of marine vertebrates in Arctic and Subarctic ecosystems

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