Effects of short-term decomposition on isotope values of fish tissues under natural conditions

Autor: Michael Power, David A. Patterson, Kathryn S. Peiman, Steven J. Cooke, Scott G. Hinch, Hsien-Yung Lin
Rok vydání: 2021
Předmět:
Zdroj: Aquatic Ecology. 56:173-181
ISSN: 1573-5125
1386-2588
DOI: 10.1007/s10452-021-09907-9
Popis: Dead animals may be an important or the only source of tissues to analyze for stable isotopes, with the goal of making inferences about an animal’s past ecological history. However, in nature, stable isotope values may be affected by myriad decomposition processes, such as abiotic environmental conditions and bacterial and fungal decay, potentially reducing the accuracy of derived ecological conclusions. We used Pacific salmon carcasses left in air or submerged under water to test whether stable isotope values of metabolically active (skin, muscle, and adipose fin) and inactive (scale) tissues changed over time. We found that the δ13C values of active tissues were all affected by decomposition but not in a predictable direction, and hard scale tissue was not. In contrast, there was no effect on δ15N values for any tissue up to 4 days under water or 8 days in air. This suggests that tissues can be analyzed for nitrogen stable isotope values even after several days in water and even if covered in fungus on the surface. For populations within which dead animals are frequently encountered, e.g., salmonid carcass surveys, hard tissues of fish (scales, otoliths) and other animals (baleen, bone, hair, feathers) will likely yield relevant biological information even if soft tissue is rotting, providing another avenue to collect important data about the life history of those animals.
Databáze: OpenAIRE
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