Article
Environmental Sciences
Torstein Pedersen
Summary: The study compared trophic position estimates from stable isotopes and a mass-balance food web model for the Barents Sea, finding that estimates from the mass-balance model were slightly higher than those from stable isotopes, and that trophic positions calculated using a linear model better matched the Ecopath model than those from a scaled fractionation approach.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2022)
Review
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Naohiko Ohkouchi
Summary: Food web research is expanding rapidly with the study of natural fractional abundance of 15N in individual amino acids. This paper provides an overview of the principles of this isotope approach and reanalyzes applications, as well as extends the discussion. The method applies kinetic isotope effects to enrich 15N in specific amino acids associated with metabolic processes, which has been demonstrated through observations in natural ecosystems and laboratory experiments. The application of this approach has proven to be successful in unraveling complex food webs and addressing various issues, such as estimating food chain length, assessing nitrogen resources, tracking fish migration, and reconstructing paleodiet.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE JAPAN ACADEMY SERIES B-PHYSICAL AND BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Stephen R. Wing, Leonardo M. Durante, Alex J. Connolly, Amandine J. M. Sabadel, Lucy C. Wing
Summary: The study aimed to investigate the long-term effects of exploitation and changes in organic matter sources on marine food web trophic structure. The results suggested declines in organic matter contribution from kelps and increases in trophic levels of mesopredatory fishes. This data provides insights into the bioenergetics of fish communities in response to exploitation and environmental changes.
GLOBAL ECOLOGY AND BIOGEOGRAPHY
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Madison S. Willert, Christine A. M. France, Carole C. Baldwin, Mark E. Hay
Summary: Overfishing globally simplifies marine food webs, changes trophic patterns, and alters community structure, impacting harvested species density and trophic function. Northwestern Atlantic has a history of heavy fishing and destructive bottom fishing and mobile fishing gear. Analysis of nitrogen stable isotopes in museum specimens and modern samples revealed significant declines in trophic positions for two common fishes, Centropristis striata (black sea bass) and Stenotomus chrysops (scup), over time. Heavy fishing activities may shorten food chains, simplify trophic complexity, and flatten food webs, potentially causing cascading impacts on community structure and function. Utilizing archived collections and stable isotope analysis can help quantify the long-term effects of fishing on ecosystems and food webs.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Shike Gao, Rui Zhang, Hu Zhang, Shuo Zhang
Summary: Research in the coastal waters of Jiangsu found that bivalves had the highest enrichment level of heavy metals, while fish had the lowest. The average concentrations of zinc, copper, and arsenic were high in marine organisms in Jiangsu coastal waters throughout spring, summer, and autumn, with mercury showing the lowest average concentration. No significant biomagnification of heavy metals was observed in organisms in the three seasons, likely due to overfishing leading to smaller, younger organisms with lower concentrations of highly enriched heavy metals.
ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION
(2022)
Article
Biology
Oliver N. Shipley, Philip Matich, Nigel E. Hussey, Annabelle M. L. Brooks, Demian Chapman, Michael G. Frisk, Annie E. Guttridge, Tristan L. Guttridge, Lucy A. Howey, Sami Kattan, Daniel J. Madigan, Owen O'Shea, Nicholas V. Polunin, Michael Power, Matthew J. Smukall, Eric V. C. Schneider, Brendan D. Shea, Brendan S. Talwar, Maggie Winchester, Edward J. Brooks, Austin J. Gallagher
Summary: Understanding the role of highly mobile predators in promoting stability and resilience in aquatic ecosystems is crucial for biodiversity conservation. However, their specific role in connecting food webs and promoting energy flow remains poorly understood in most contexts.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2023)
Review
Ecology
Matthew D. Ramirez, Alexi C. Besser, Seth D. Newsome, Kelton W. McMahon
Summary: This study conducted a meta-analysis to investigate sources of variability in primary producer AA nitrogen isotope data, finding that vascularization is a greater source of variability than habitat type. Results show that variation in beta(Glx-Phe) values is two times greater than previously considered, and the relative influence of beta values dissipates at higher trophic levels.
METHODS IN ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Edna Correia, Jose Pedro Granadeiro, Carlos Vale, Teresa Catry
Summary: The concentrations of 13 elements in the muscle and liver of 17 coastal fish species in the Bijag & PRIME;os Archipelago, Guinea-Bissau were reported in this study. The results showed higher concentrations of certain elements in the liver than in the muscle tissue, except for Sr and Ca in all fish species. There was a significant increase in the concentrations of Hg and Se in muscle samples with increasing trophic ecology indicators, indicating biomagnification in the food chain.
MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Emily R. Arsenault, James H. Thorp, Michael J. Polito, Mario Minder, Walter K. Dodds, Flavia Tromboni, Alain Maasri, Mark Pyron, Bud Mendsaikhan, Amarbat Otgonganbat, Solongo Altangerel, Sudeep Chandra, Robert Shields, Caleb Artz, Hayat Bennadji
Summary: Using compound-specific stable carbon isotope analysis, the study found that aquatic resources played a consistent and important role in supporting fish consumers in streams, while terrestrial carbon did not directly contribute to their diet.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Xiaoxiao Li, Wei Yang, Tao Sun, Zhifeng Yang
Summary: This study investigated the trophic diversity and structure of food webs in four different vegetated habitats along a topographic gradient. The results showed significant differences in carbon and nitrogen isotopes between the carbon sources and consumers in the four habitats. The trophic position of consumers varied across habitats, with the lowest isotopic trophic diversity in the habitat formed by an invasive species.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Bohyung Choi, Kyung-Hoon Shin
Summary: The study found that mussels have higher trophic positions, requiring normalization of basal nitrogen isotope ratio. Spatial variations in nitrogen isotopic baselines in mussels reflect different nitrogen sources. Delta N-15 (base-bulk) and Delta N-15 (base-phe) are powerful tools for tracing nitrogen isotopic baselines.
MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN
(2021)
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
Yeon Jee Suh, Min-Seob Kim, Won-Kyung Lee, Hyunjin Yoon, Inkyeong Moon, Jaewoo Jung, Se-Jong Ju
Summary: This study investigated energy sources and trophic interactions among vent fauna in deep-sea hydrothermal vents in the North Fiji Basin. The findings indicate that symbiont-bearing taxa have different carbon fixation pathways or nutrient preferences. Niche partitioning was observed among omnivores, with different resources or microhabitats being utilized. The crab was found to be the top predator in the ecosystem, consuming a variety of prey but with a lower preference for mussels. Overall, the vent fauna displayed non-overlapping diets and spatial niches, with each taxon having unique energy sources.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Qi Wang, Shanshan Fu, Fanghong Mu, Zhinan Zhang, Xiaoshou Liu
Summary: The study evaluated the impact of bottom aquaculture on benthic ecosystems by examining the characteristics of benthic food web using stable isotope techniques. Results showed that there were no significant seasonal changes in the structure of the benthic food web, although food sources had seasonal differences in stable isotope values. Manila clam bottom aquaculture can enhance secondary productivity by providing bio-deposits. Bivalve bottom culture may have a positive impact on benthic ecosystem functioning.
MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Yota Harada, Shing Yip Lee, Rod M. Connolly, Brian Fry
Summary: The study found that amino acids at the base of a mangrove food web mainly originate from plants, especially microalgae, rather than bacteria and fungi. This reveals the role of microbial mineralization in decaying leaves and its support for the production of microalgae.
MARINE ECOLOGY PROGRESS SERIES
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
R. Garcia-Seoane, I. G. Viana, A. Bode
Summary: This study proposes a method to infer the proportions of vascular and non-vascular primary producers in the diet of consumer organisms using mixing models and compound-specific isotope analysis. The research demonstrates that primary producer groups have distinct isotopic fingerprints that can be tracked into their primary consumers.
MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH
(2023)