Patterns in Stable Isotope Values of Nitrogen and Carbon in Particulate Matter from the Northwest Atlantic Continental Shelf, from the Gulf of Maine to Cape Hatteras

Oczkowski, Autumn; Kreakie, Betty J.; McKinney, Richard A.; Prezioso, Jerry

doi:10.3389/fmars.2016.00252

Cited by 40 publications

(34 citation statements)

References 27 publications

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“…Multiple data points in the same location were averaged using the mean isotopic value. Known latitudinal and longitudinal gradients in δ 13 C and δ 15 N for phytoplankton, particulate organic matter (POM) and dissolved organic matter (POM) were used as a visual guide to inform the spatial interpretation of skate isotope values (Bauer et al 2001, McKinney et al 2010, Oczkowski et al 2016, Magozzi et al 2017.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Food webs associated with the continental shelf of the NW Atlantic are predominantly supported by pelagic phytoplankton-based primary production, although fluvial production from land run-off may provide additional allochthonous sources of production to proximate regions from the coastline (Oczkowski et al 2016). A number of studies have revealed a relatively distinct spatial pattern in pelagic phytoplankton, POM, and DOM, with regards to δ 13 C and δ 15 N (Bauer et al 2001, McKinney et al 2010, Oczkowski et al 2016, Magozzi et al 2017. Patterns are assumed to be driven by various biogeochemical mechanisms such as temperature (Goericke and Fry 1994, Lara et al 2010, Magozzi et al 2017, dissolved carbon dioxide concentrations (i.e.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Patterns are assumed to be driven by various biogeochemical mechanisms such as temperature (Goericke and Fry 1994, Lara et al 2010, Magozzi et al 2017, dissolved carbon dioxide concentrations (i.e. CO 2 , Goericke andFry 1994, Fischer et al 1998), primary producer species composition (Popp et al 1999, Lara et al 2010, and variable nutrient regimes (Oczkowski et al 2016). Regardless of causation, such patterns provide a useful baseline to help elucidate the spatial scale over which mobile predators may assimilate energy (Jaeger et al 2010, Graham et al 2010, Ceriani et al 2014, Bird et al 2018.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Spatial patterns in the isotopic composition of winter skate, however, may contest the theory of limited It is conceivable that individuals may perform extensive movements throughout their range but prioritize feeding within a more specified geographic region. The isotopically lighter composition of winter skate largely reflects phytoplankton origin in more northerly regions of the NW Atlantic (Oczkowski et al 2016), suggesting highly productive provinces such as Georges Bank could be a preferred feeding location. If this hypothesis is correct, individuals may be utilizing other areas of their range for life history behaviors (e.g.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Questioning assumptions of trophic behavior in a broadly ranging marine predator guild

et al. 2019

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We evaluated whether existing assumptions regarding the trophic ecology of a poorly‐studied predator guild, northwest (NW) Atlantic skates (family: Rajidae), were supported across broad geographic scales. Four hypotheses were tested using carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N) stable isotope values as a proxy for foraging behavior: 1) species exhibit ontogenetic shifts in habitat and thus display a shift in 13C with differential use of the continental shelf; 2) species exhibit ontogenetic prey shifts (i.e. from smaller to larger prey items) and become enriched in 15N; 3) individuals acquire energy from spatially confined local resource pools and exhibit limited displacement; and 4) species exhibit similarly sized and highly overlapping trophic niches. We found some evidence for ontogenetic shifts in habitat‐use (δ13C) for thorny and little skate and diet (δ15N) of thorny and winter skate and hypothesize that individuals exhibit gradual trophic niche transition, especially in δ15N space, rather than a clear and distinct shift in diet throughout ontogeny. Spatial isoscapes generated for little, thorny, and winter skate highlighted distinct spatial patterns in isotopic composition across the coastal shelf. For little and thorny skate, patterns mimicked expected spatial variability in the isotopic composition of phytoplankton/POM, suggesting limited displacement and utilization of spatially confined resource pools. Winter skate, however, exhibited a much narrower range of δ13C and δ15N values, suggesting individuals may use resources from a more confined latitudinal range. Although high total trophic niche overlap was observed between some species (e.g. little and thorny skate), sympatric species (e.g. little and winter skate) exhibited a degree of trophic niche separation. These findings offer new insight into the trophic dynamics of a poorly‐studied, vulnerable group of predators, and highlight a need to re‐examine assumptions pertaining to aspects of their ecology.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Questioning assumptions of trophic behavior in a broadly ranging marine predator guild

et al. 2019

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“…However, the defining of end‐member isotope values is an unsettled issue (Kandasamy et al, ; Miller et al, ). Earlier studies have indicated that the δ 13 C of planktonic OM in the coastal region widely varied from the inner to the outer shelf, with less negative δ 13 C and high δ 15 N in the inner shelf (Liu et al, ; Miller & Page, ; Oczkowski et al, ). This suggests the difficulty in addressing carbon sources in the marine environment based on δ 13 C values alone.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Impact of Hydrological Conditions on the Biogeochemical Dynamics of Suspended Particulate Organic Matter in the Upper Mixed Layer of the Southern East China Sea

et al. 2019

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We investigate suspended particles collected from the upper mixed layer in the inner shelf of the southern East China Sea during autumn 2013 for carbon and nitrogen (POC and PN) contents and their isotope compositions (δ13C and δ15N) along with hydrographic parameters to understand the sources and dynamics of particulate organic matter (POM) in the study area. Results indicated that the extensive hydrological processes affect the biogeochemical composition of suspended POM, as revealed by the horizontally mixing POM and the spatial variation of δ15N and molar C/N ratio. Low C/N (2.4–6.5) and a weak correlation between POC and in situ chlorophyll fluorescence suggested that POM is dominated by the recently formed and well‐preserved planktonic OM. By fitting the linear correlation between δ13C and POC data with a photosynthetic fractionation model, we further disentangled dynamic controls of phytoplankton production and species diversity on δ13C variability (−24.3 to −21.3‰), emphasizing the constant effect of productivity‐derived POC on δ13C (0.02‰ per μg/L). The δ15N variability (2.3–7.4‰) is largely controlled by the mixing of isotopically different nitrogen sources, in which the importance of biological nitrogen fixation is unfolded based on the small δ15N and the negative correlation between δ15N of POM and seawater temperature. This implies that Kuroshio‐induced biological N fixation plays an important role in supporting the marine production in the East China Sea. These hydrologically driven δ13C and δ15N changes of marine productivity‐derived POM suggest that internal biophysical dynamics rather than terrestrial versus marine OM mixing largely control the C and N compositional variability in the shelf seas.

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Separation of realized ecological niche axes among sympatric tilefishes provides insight into potential drivers of co‐occurrence in the NW Atlantic

Olin

Shipley

Cerrato

et al. 2020

Ecology and Evolution

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Patterns in Stable Isotope Values of Nitrogen and Carbon in Particulate Matter from the Northwest Atlantic Continental Shelf, from the Gulf of Maine to Cape Hatteras

Cited by 40 publications

References 27 publications

Questioning assumptions of trophic behavior in a broadly ranging marine predator guild

Questioning assumptions of trophic behavior in a broadly ranging marine predator guild

Impact of Hydrological Conditions on the Biogeochemical Dynamics of Suspended Particulate Organic Matter in the Upper Mixed Layer of the Southern East China Sea

Separation of realized ecological niche axes among sympatric tilefishes provides insight into potential drivers of co‐occurrence in the NW Atlantic

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