The overall goal of this project relates to providing an exceptional level of ecological detail by: 1) tracing the seasonal inputs of specific fatty acid biomarkers deriving from sea ice alga and open ocean phytoplankton through the marine food web using sophisticated fatty acid profiling and novel compound-specific stable isotope analyses (CSIA); 2) tracing the seasonal (spring and summer) changes in the proportions of these biomarkers in sympagic, pelagic and benthic arctic marine invertebrates; 3) investigating the presence of these seasonally derived biomarkers in ice seals, which are an important subsistence resource to Alaskan Native communities in the region. Our detailed and seasonal perspective will contribute to ongoing food web studies in the Bering Sea (e.g., the Bering Ecosystem Study and Bering Sea Integrated Ecosystem Research Program - BEST/BSIERP, funded by the NSF and North Pacific Research Board).

Project Location

Products and Resources Description

Papers Submitted

Budge, S., S. Wang, T. Hollman and M. Wooller, "Carbon isotopic fractionation in eider adipose tissue varies with fatty acid structure: Implications for trophic studies", Journal of Experimental Biology (2011) (accepted).

Carroll, S.S., L. Horstmann-Dehn, and B. Norcross, "Interannual Variations in the Diet of Ice Seals Assessed by Isotopic Mixing Models", Marine Ecology Progress Series (2011) (submitted).

Dates

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Members

Principal Investigator

Dr. Matthew Wooller
University of Alaska Fairbanks

Co-Principal Investigator

Dr. Rolf Gradinger
Institute of  Marine Research

Co-Principal Investigator

Ms. Gay Sheffield
UAF Alaska Sea Grant

Co-Principal Investigator

Dr. Katrin Iken
University of Alaska Fairbanks

Co-Principal Investigator

Dr. Lara Horstmann-Dehn
University of Alaska Fairbanks

Keywords

changing seasonality in the arctic system
biological oceanography
ecology
human dimensions
marine ecosystems
ocean
sea ice
system science