AI Article Synopsis
- Arctic ecosystems are undergoing changes due to warmer temperatures and reduced sea ice, impacting the diets of top predators like ringed seals.
- Examination of ringed seal claw growth layers from 1964 to 2011 revealed links between stable isotopes (δC and δN) and environmental factors, showing how prey availability is affected by climate conditions.
- Findings indicate that the dietary niche of ringed seals has diversified over the decades, reflecting adaptations to changing ecosystem dynamics, and highlight the need for ongoing monitoring to understand ecological shifts due to climate change.
Article Abstract
Arctic ecosystem dynamics are shifting in response to warming temperatures and sea ice loss. Such ecosystems may be monitored by examining the diet of upper trophic level species, which varies with prey availability. To assess interannual variation in the Beaufort Sea ecosystem, we examined spatial and temporal trends in ringed seal () δC and δN in claw growth layers grown from 1964 to 2011. Stable isotopes were correlated with climate indices, environmental conditions, seal population productivity, and geographic location. Sex and age did not influence stable isotopes. Enriched C was linked to cyclonic circulation regimes, seal productivity, and westward sampling locations. Higher δN was linked to lower sea surface temperatures, a higher percentage of pups in the subsistence harvest, and sample locations that were eastward and further from shore. From the 1960s to 2000s, ringed seal niche width expanded, suggesting a diversification of diet due to expansion of prey and/or seal space use. Overall, trends in ringed seal stable isotopes indicate changes within the Beaufort Sea ecosystem affected by water temperatures and circulation regimes. We suggest that continued monitoring of upper trophic level species will yield insights into changing ecosystem structure with climate change.
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| http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7246210 | PMC |
| http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/ece3.6186 | DOI Listing |
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