Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10316/101863
Title: Stable Isotope Dynamics (δ13C and δ15N) in Neritic and Oceanic Waters of the North Atlantic Inferred From GPS-Tracked Cory’s Shearwaters
Authors: Ceia, Filipe R. 
Cherel, Yves
Paiva, Vítor 
Ramos, Jaime A. 
Keywords: Atlantic Ocean; bio-logging; isoscapes; isotopic patterns; plasma; random forest; seabird; top predators
Issue Date: 2018
Project: EU INTERREG project FAME (The Future of the Atlantic Marine Environment; Project n 2009-1/089) 
LIFE C Berlenga (LIFE13 NAT/PT/000458) at Berlenga Island 
LIFE project “Safe Islands for Seabirds” (LIFE07 NAT/P/000649) at Corvo Island 
Serial title, monograph or event: Frontiers in Marine Science
Volume: 5
Abstract: Intrinsic markers, such as stable isotopes, are a powerful approach to trace wildlife movements because they do not require initial marking of the organism. The main limitation of the isotopic method is the lack of knowledge in spatio-temporal patterns and dynamics of stable isotopes in marine environments, especially at local scales. Here, we combine GPS-tracks and isotopic signatures from Cory’s shearwaters as a model species to define isoscapes in the North Atlantic, and assess d13C and d15N dynamics, from local to regional spatial scales. Tracking data and blood samples were collected seasonally (during pre-laying and chick-rearing periods) across 6 years (2010–2015) from a total of 191 birds breeding at both neritic and oceanic environments. Tracked birds encompassed a large latitudinal and longitudinal area of the mid-North Atlantic, from the Eastern to Central North Atlantic. Overall, the d13C and d15N values of birds’ plasma over the region ranged from 20.2 to 16.2h, and from 10.8 to 15.5h, respectively. As expected, strong biogeographic isotopic patterns were found in d13C values at a regional scale, mostly driven by an inshore/offshore gradient and chlorophyll a concentration. Although a moderate expression of spatial isotopic gradients on d15N values (i.e., latitudinal and inshore/offshore) in the whole region, these were primarily influenced by temporal drivers (i.e., annual variability). At a local scale (i.e., in a radius of 100 km around the colony, within the neritic environment), both d13C and d15N values were very influenced by temporal drivers, suggesting that wide-ranging top consumers are hard to trace locally. This study shows that the d13C values of marine top consumers are good indicators of the foraging habitat at a regional scale in the mid-North Atlantic, especially in terms of inshore/offshore gradients and areas of higher productivity.
URI: https://hdl.handle.net/10316/101863
ISSN: 2296-7745
DOI: 10.3389/fmars.2018.00377
Rights: openAccess
Appears in Collections:I&D MARE - Artigos em Revistas Internacionais

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