Testing the usefulness of hydrogen and compound-specific stable isotope analyses in seabird feathers: a case study in two sympatric Antarctic storm-petrels

Quillfeldt, Petra; Thorn, Simon; Richter, Benjamin; Nabte, Marcela Janina; Coria, Néstor Rubén; Masello, Juan F.; Massaro, Melanie; Neves, Verónica C.; Libertelli, Marcella

doi:10.1007/s00227-017-3224-8

Cited by 14 publications

(24 citation statements)

References 29 publications

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“…However, in certain contexts the interpretation of stable isotope values is hampered by a lack of isotopic baseline data. In particular, δ 15 N values from bulk stable isotope analysis cannot be compared directly among tissues derived from food webs in different areas. Trophic positions of predators can only be calculated from bulk nitrogen isotope values if bulk tissue δ 15 N values of lower trophic positions is known [4,5].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In particular, δ 15 N values from bulk stable isotope analysis cannot be compared directly among tissues derived from food webs in different areas. Trophic positions of predators can only be calculated from bulk nitrogen isotope values if bulk tissue δ 15 N values of lower trophic positions is known [4,5]. However, there may be considerable temporal and spatial variability in the bulk tissue δ 15 N values of the primary producer or potential prey [6,7].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Trophic positions of predators can only be calculated from bulk nitrogen isotope values if bulk tissue δ 15 N values of lower trophic positions is known [4,5]. However, there may be considerable temporal and spatial variability in the bulk tissue δ 15 N values of the primary producer or potential prey [6,7]. Thus, the reference bulk tissue δ 15 N value of lower trophic positions has to match the predator tissue in space and time.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, there may be considerable temporal and spatial variability in the bulk tissue δ 15 N values of the primary producer or potential prey [6,7]. Thus, the reference bulk tissue δ 15 N value of lower trophic positions has to match the predator tissue in space and time. For example, trophic positions can be estimated from bulk nitrogen values of feathers if reference bulk tissue δ 15 N values are available from the moult area and moulting season.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Compound-specific stable isotope analyses in Falkland Islands seabirds reveal seasonal changes in trophic positions

Quillfeldt

Masello

2020

BMC Ecol

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Background: While nitrogen and carbon stable isotope values can reflect ecological segregation, prey choice and spatial distribution in seabirds, the interpretation of bulk stable isotope values is frequently hampered by a lack of isotopic baseline data. In this study, we used compound-specific isotope analyses of amino acids (CSIA-AA) to overcome this constraint and to study interspecific differences, seasonal and historical changes in trophic positions of five seabird species, three penguins and two petrels, from a sub-Antarctic seabird community.Results: CSIA-AA allowed comparing trophic positions of seabirds with temperate and polar distributions. Gentoo and Magellanic penguins had the highest trophic positions during the breeding season (3.7 and 3.9), but decreased these (2.9 and 3.3) during the feed-up for moult. Intra-specific differences were also detected in Thin-billed prions, where carbon isotope values clearly separated individuals with polar and temperate distributions, both in the breeding and interbreeding periods. Thin-billed prions that foraged in polar waters had lower trophic positions (3.2) than conspecifics foraging in temperate waters (3.8). We further investigated historical changes by comparing museum samples with samples collected recently. Our pilot study suggests that Rockhopper penguins, Magellanic penguins and Thin-billed prions with temperate non-breeding distributions had retained their trophic levels over a 90-100 year period, while Gentoo penguins and Thin-billed prions with polar non-breeding distributions had decreased trophic levels compared to historical samples. In contrast, Wilson's storm-petrels had slightly increased trophic levels compared to samples taken in 1924-1930. Conclusions:We applied compound-specific stable isotope analyses across a range of contexts, from intra-specific comparisons between stages of the breeding cycle to inter-specific seabird community analysis that would not have been possible using bulk stable isotope analyses alone due to differences in isotopic baselines.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Compound-specific stable isotope analyses in Falkland Islands seabirds reveal seasonal changes in trophic positions

Quillfeldt

Masello

2020

BMC Ecol

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“…Besides, stable isotope analyses of feather AAs have also been used to identify penguin migration strategies (Polito et al, 2017). There have only been a few other studies that have focused on avian species through compound specific 15 N analyses of AAs (e.g., Quillfeldt et al, 2017).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Compound‐specific ¹⁵N analysis of amino acids: A tool to estimate the trophic position of tropical seabirds in the South China Sea

Liu

et al. 2018

Ecology and Evolution

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Compound‐specific 15N analysis of amino acids (AAs) is a powerful tool to determine the trophic position (TP) of organisms. However, it has only been used in a few studies of avian ecology because the AA patterns in the consumer‐diet nitrogen trophic discrimination factor (TDFG lu‐Phe = ∆15 NG lu−∆15 NP he) were unknown in birds until recently, and tropical seabirds have never been investigated with this methodology. Here, we explore the application of this method to tropical seabirds. In this study, we recovered the fossilized bones of tropical seabirds from ornithogenic sediments on two coral islands in the Xisha Islands, South China Sea, as well as the bones and muscle of their predominant food source, flying fish (Exocoetus volitans). Compound‐specific 15N and 13C analyses of AAs in both seabird and fish bone collagen were conducted. The TP of flying fish was calculated based on a widely used single TDFG lu‐Phe approach. We then calculated the TP of tropical seabirds in three different ways: (a) according to the composition of their diet; (b) based on the single TDFG lu‐Phe approach; and (c) using a multi‐TDFG lu‐Phe approach. The results of the multi‐TDFG lu‐Phe approach were much closer to the results based on the composition of the seabird diet than the results of the single TDFG lu‐Phe approach, confirming its applicability for tropical seabirds. For seabird bone samples of different ages, TP determined from the multi‐TDFG lu‐Phe approach was most similar to that of bulk δ15N of bird collagen, with seabirds occupying higher TPs during the Little Ice Age, as previously shown. In addition, the 13C Suess effect was reflected in the AAs δ13C in our samples. This study applied a compound‐specific 15N analysis of AAs to determine the TP of tropical seabirds that has potential to extend to all tropical seabirds many of which are widely distributed and play a key role in the evolution of coral island ecosystems.

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Influence of Species‐Specific Feeding Ecology on Mercury Concentrations in Seabirds Breeding on the Chatham Islands, New Zealand

Thébault

Bustamante

Massaro

et al. 2021

Enviro Toxic and Chemistry

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Mercury (Hg) is a toxic metal that accumulates in organisms and biomagnifies along food webs; hence, long‐lived predators such as seabirds are at risk as a result of high Hg bioaccumulation. Seabirds have been widely used to monitor the contamination of marine ecosystems. In the present study, we investigated Hg concentrations in blood, muscle, and feathers of 7 procellariform seabirds breeding on the Chatham Islands, New Zealand. Using bulk and compound‐specific stable isotope ratios of carbon and nitrogen as a proxy of trophic position and distribution, we also tested whether Hg contamination is related to the species‐specific feeding ecology. Mercury exposure varied widely within the seabird community. The highest contaminated species, the Magenta petrel, had approximately 29 times more Hg in its blood than the broad‐billed prion, and approximately 35 times more Hg in its feathers than the grey‐backed storm petrel. Variations of Hg concentrations in blood and feathers were significantly and positively linked to feeding habitats and trophic position, highlighting the occurrence of efficient Hg biomagnification processes along the food web. Species and feeding habitats were the 2 main drivers of Hg exposure within the seabird community. The Pterodroma species had high blood and feather Hg concentrations, which can be caused by their specific physiology and/or because of their foraging behavior during the interbreeding period (i.e., from the Tasman Sea to the Humboldt Current system). These 2 threatened species are at risk of suffering detrimental effects from Hg contamination and further studies are required to investigate potential negative impacts, especially on their reproduction capability. Environ Toxicol Chem 2021;40:454–472. © 2020 The Authors. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of SETAC.

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Testing the usefulness of hydrogen and compound-specific stable isotope analyses in seabird feathers: a case study in two sympatric Antarctic storm-petrels

Cited by 14 publications

References 29 publications

Compound-specific stable isotope analyses in Falkland Islands seabirds reveal seasonal changes in trophic positions

Compound-specific stable isotope analyses in Falkland Islands seabirds reveal seasonal changes in trophic positions

Compound‐specific ¹⁵N analysis of amino acids: A tool to estimate the trophic position of tropical seabirds in the South China Sea

Influence of Species‐Specific Feeding Ecology on Mercury Concentrations in Seabirds Breeding on the Chatham Islands, New Zealand

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Testing the usefulness of hydrogen and compound-specific stable isotope analyses in seabird feathers: a case study in two sympatric Antarctic storm-petrels

Cited by 14 publications

References 29 publications

Compound-specific stable isotope analyses in Falkland Islands seabirds reveal seasonal changes in trophic positions

Compound-specific stable isotope analyses in Falkland Islands seabirds reveal seasonal changes in trophic positions

Compound‐specific 15N analysis of amino acids: A tool to estimate the trophic position of tropical seabirds in the South China Sea

Influence of Species‐Specific Feeding Ecology on Mercury Concentrations in Seabirds Breeding on the Chatham Islands, New Zealand

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Compound‐specific ¹⁵N analysis of amino acids: A tool to estimate the trophic position of tropical seabirds in the South China Sea