Are stable isotope ratios suitable for describing niche partitioning and individual specialization?

As concerns about anthropogenic and natural disturbance grow, understanding animal resource use patterns has been increasingly prioritized to predict how changes in environmental conditions, food web structure, and population dynamics will affect biological resilience. Among the tools used to assess resource use, stable isotope analysis has proliferated in ecological studies, particularly in relation to describing intra- and interspecific variation in trophic interactions. Despite a growing need to disseminate scientific information, the inherent limitations of stable isotope ratios and inappropriate synonymizing of distinct evolutionary and ecological processes may mislead ecological inferences in natural systems. This situation necessitates a re-evaluation of the utility of stable isotope ratios to address certain ecological questions. Here, we assess the efficacy of stable isotope ratios to describe two fundamental ecological processes, niche partitioning and individual specialization. Investigation of these processes has increased substantially in accordance with increased access to stable isotope data. This article discusses the circumstances and approaches that are necessary to evaluate niche partitioning and individual specialization, and outlines key considerations for the associated application of stable isotope ratios

Separation of realized ecological niche axes among sympatric tilefishes provides insight into potential drivers of co-occurrence in the NW Atlantic

Golden and Blueline Tilefish (Lopholatilus chamaeleonticeps and Caulolatilus microps) are keystone taxa in northwest (NW) Atlantic continental shelf-edge environments due to their biotic (trophic-mediated) and abiotic (ecosystem engineering) functional roles combined with high-value fisheries. Despite this importance, the ecological niche dynamics (i.e., those relating to trophic behavior and food-web interactions) of these sympatric species are poorly understood, knowledge of which may be consequential for maintaining both ecosystem function and fishery sustainability. We used stable isotope ratios of carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N) to build realized ecological niche hypervolumes to serve as proxies for diet and production use patterns of L. chamaeleonticeps and C. microps. We hypothesized that: (a) species exhibit ontogenetic shifts in diet and use of production sources; (b) species acquire energy from spatially distinct resource pools that reflect a sedentary life-history and differential use of the continental shelf-edge; and (c) species exhibit differentiation in one or more measured niche axes. We found evidence for ontogenetic shifts in diet (δ15N) but not production source (δ13C) in both species, suggesting a subtle expansion of measured ecological niche axes. Spatial interpolation of stable isotope ratios showed distinct latitudinal gradients; for example, individuals were 13C enriched in northern and 15N enriched in southern regions, supporting the assertion that tilefish species acquire energy from regional resource pools. High isotopic overlap was observed among species (≥82%); however, when hypervolumes included depth and region of capture, overlap among species substantially decreased to overlap estimates of 15%–77%. This suggests that spatial segregation could alleviate potential competition for resources among tilefish species inhabiting continental shelf-edge environments. Importantly, our results question the consensus interpretation of isotopic overlap estimates as representative of direct competition among species for shared resources or habitats, instead identifying habitat segregation as a possible mechanism for coexistence of tilefish species in the NW Atlantic

Evolution of realized Eltonian niches across Rajidae species

The notion that closely related species resemble each other in ecological niche space (i.e., phylogenetic dependence) has been a long-standing, contentious paradigm in evolutionary biology, the incidence of which is important for predicting the ecosystem-level effects of species loss. Despite being examined across a multitude of terrestrial taxa, many aspects of niche conservatism have yet to be explored in marine species, especially for characteristics related to resource use and trophic behavior (Eltonian niche characteristics, ENCs). We combined ENCs derived from stable isotope ratios at assemblage- and species-levels with phylogenetic comparative methods, to test the hypotheses that benthic marine fishes (1) exhibit similar assemblage-wide ENCs regardless of geographic location and (2) display phylogenetically dependent ENCs at the species level. We used a 12-species sub-set of the monophyletic group Rajidae sampled from three independent assemblages (Central California, Gulf of Alaska, and Northwest Atlantic), which span two ocean basins. Assemblage-level ENCs implied low trophic diversity and high evenness, suggesting that Rajidae assemblages may exhibit a well-defined trophic role, a trend consistent regardless of geographic location. At the species level, we found evidence for phylogenetic dependence of ENCs relating to trophic diversity (i.e., isotopic niche width; SEAc). Whether individuals can be considered functional equivalents across assemblages is hard to ascertain because we did not detect a significant phylogenetic signal for ENCs relating to trophic function (e.g., trophic position). Thus, additional, complimentary approaches are required to further examine the phylogenetic dependence of species functionality. Our approach illustrates the potential of stable isotope-derived niche characteristics to provide insight on macroecological processes occurring across evolutionary time, which could help predict how assemblages may respond to the effects of species loss

Telemetry-validated nitrogen stable isotope clocks identify ocean-to-estuarine habitat shifts in mobile organisms

Throughout their life history, many animals transition among heterogeneous environments to facilitate behaviours such as reproduction, foraging and predator avoidance. The dynamic environmental and biological conditions experienced by mobile species are integrated in the chemical composition of their tissues, providing retrospective insight into movement. Here, we present a unique application of nitrogen stable isotope clocks (‘isotopic clocks’), which integrate tissue turnover rates, consumer stable isotope ratios and habitat-specific isotope baselines to predict time-since-immigration and the timing of habitat shifts in a migratory species. Nitrogen stable isotope values of blood plasma collected from juvenile sand tiger sharks Carcharias taurus, a species known to undertake seasonal movements between ocean and estuarine environments, were used to derive estimates of time-since-immigration and the timing of seasonal habitat shifts undertaken by this species. Nitrogen isotopic clocks estimated for 65 juvenile sand tiger sharks sampled across 6 years indicated that individual sharks predominantly arrived to estuarine habitats between June and July, with some individuals arriving as early as mid-May. These estimates were validated by comparing isotope-derived estuarine arrival times with those from acoustically tracked individuals. The median estuarine arrival day estimates from our isotopic approach aligned with estimates from acoustic telemetry for each sampling population. Sensitivity analyses indicated that isotopically inferred time-since-immigration and estuarine arrival estimates were robust to variation in isotopic turnover rate and diet tissue discrimination factors under multiple modelling scenarios. This suggests that parameterization of the nitrogen isotopic clock provides reliable estimates of time-since-immigration and day of arrival into new habitats if isotopic variation exists between origin and new locations. Our study presents a unique application of telemetry-validated isotope clocks to derive retrospective estimates of time-since-immigration and timing of habitat shifts for animals that seasonally traverse heterogeneous environments. This approach can be readily applied across many temporal and spatial scales, and to other species and ecosystems, to facilitate rapid assessment of changes in animal habitat use and broader ecosystem structure

AGN are cooler than you think: the intrinsic far-IR emission from QSOs

We present an intrinsic AGN spectral energy distribution (SED) extending from the optical to the submm, derived with a sample of unobscured, optically luminous (νLν,5100 >1043.5 erg s−1) QSOs at z < 0.18 from the Palomar Green survey. The intrinsic AGN SED was computed by removing the contribution from stars using the 11.3 μm polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) feature in the QSOs’ mid-IR spectra; the 1σ uncertainty on the SED ranges between 12 and 45 per cent as a function of wavelength and is a combination of PAH flux measurement errors and the uncertainties related to the conversion between PAH luminosity and star-forming luminosity. Longwards of 20 μm, the shape of the intrinsic AGN SED is independent of the AGN power indicating that our template should be applicable to all systems hosting luminous AGN (νLν, 5100 or LX(2–10 keV) _ 1043.5 erg s−1). We note that for our sample of luminous QSOs, the average AGN emission is at least as high as, and mostly higher than, the total stellar powered emission at all wavelengths from the optical to the submm. This implies that in many galaxies hosting powerful AGN, there is no ‘safe’ broad-band photometric observation (at λ < 1000 μm) which can be used in calculating star formation rates without subtracting the AGN contribution. Roughly, the AGN contribution may be ignored only if the intrinsic AGN luminosity at 5100 AA is at least a factor of 4 smaller than the total infrared luminosity (LIR, 8–1000 μm) of the galaxy. Finally, we examine the implication of our work in statistical studies of star formation in AGN host galaxies

Spatial Connectivity and Drivers of Shark Habitat Use Within a Large Marine Protected Area in the Caribbean, The Bahamas Shark Sanctuary

Marine protected areas (MPAs) have emerged as potentially important conservation tools for the conservation of biodiversity and mitigation of climate impacts. Among MPAs, a large percentage has been created with the implicit goal of protecting shark populations, including 17 shark sanctuaries which fully protect sharks throughout their jurisdiction. The Commonwealth of the Bahamas represents a long-term MPA for sharks, following the banning of commercial longlining in 1993 and subsequent designation as a shark sanctuary in 2011. Little is known, however, about the longterm behavior and space use of sharks within this protected area, particularly among reef-associated sharks for which the sanctuary presumably offers the most benefit. We used acoustic telemetry to advance our understanding of the ecology of such sharks, namely Caribbean reef sharks (Carcharhinus perezi) and tiger sharks (Galeocerdo cuvier), over two discrete islands (New Providence and Great Exuma) varying in human activity level, over 2 years. We evaluated which factors influenced the likelihood of detection of individuals, analyzed patterns of movement and occurrence, and identified variability in habitat selection among species and regions, using a dataset of 23 Caribbean reef sharks and 15 tiger sharks which were passively monitored in two arrays with a combined total of 13 acoustic receivers. Caribbean reef sharks had lower detection probabilities than tiger sharks, and exhibited relatively low habitat connectivity and high residency, while tiger sharks demonstrated wider roaming behavior across much greater space. Tiger sharks were associated with shallow seagrass habitats where available, but frequently transited between and connected different habitat types. Our data support the notion that large MPAs afford greater degrees of protection for highly resident species such as Caribbean reef sharks, shark, acoustic telemetry, marine protected area, MPA, seagrass, coral reef, Bahamas, Caribbea

Tiger sharks support the characterization of the world’s largest seagrass ecosystem

Seagrass conservation is critical for mitigating climate change due to the large stocks of carbon they sequester in the seafloor. However, effective conservation and its potential to provide nature-based solutions to climate change is hindered by major uncertainties regarding seagrass extent and distribution. Here, we describe the characterization of the world’s largest seagrass ecosystem, located in The Bahamas. We integrate existing spatial estimates with an updated empirical remote sensing product and perform extensive ground-truthing of seafloor with 2,542 diver surveys across remote sensing tiles. We also leverage seafloor assessments and movement data obtained from instrument-equipped tiger sharks, which have strong fidelity to seagrass ecosystems, to augment and further validate predictions. We report a consensus area of at least 66,000 km and up to 92,000 km of seagrass habitat across The Bahamas Banks. Sediment core analysis of stored organic carbon further confirmed the global relevance of the blue carbon stock in this ecosystem. Data from tiger sharks proved important in supporting mapping and ground-truthing remote sensing estimates. This work provides evidence of major knowledge gaps in the ocean ecosystem, the benefits in partnering with marine animals to address these gaps, and underscores support for rapid protection of oceanic carbon sinks

Prostate cancer risk related to foods, food groups, macronutrients and micronutrients derived from the UK Dietary Cohort Consortium food diaries.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: The influence of dietary factors remains controversial for screen-detected prostate cancer and inconclusive for clinically detected disease. We aimed to examine these associations using prospectively collected food diaries. SUBJECTS/METHODS: A total of 1,717 prostate cancer cases in middle-aged and older UK men were pooled from four prospective cohorts with clinically detected disease (n=663), with routine data follow-up (means 6.6-13.3 years) and a case-control study with screen-detected disease (n=1054), nested in a randomised trial of prostate cancer treatments (ISCTRN 20141297). Multiple-day food diaries (records) completed by men prior to diagnosis were used to estimate intakes of 37 selected nutrients, food groups and items, including carbohydrate, fat, protein, dairy products, fish, meat, fruit and vegetables, energy, fibre, alcohol, lycopene and selenium. Cases were matched on age and diary date to at least one control within study (n=3528). Prostate cancer risk was calculated, using conditional logistic regression (adjusted for baseline covariates) and expressed as odds ratios in each quintile of intake (±95% confidence intervals). Prostate cancer risk was also investigated by localised or advanced stage and by cancer detection method. RESULTS: There were no strong associations between prostate cancer risk and 37 dietary factors. CONCLUSIONS: Prostate cancer risk, including by disease stage, was not strongly associated with dietary factors measured by food diaries in middle-aged and older UK men.Medical Research Council (Grant ID: MC_UU_12019/1), Medical Research Council Population Health Sciences Research Network, British Heart Foundation, Cancer Research UK (Grant ID: C8221/A19170), Department of Health, Food Standards Agency, Stroke Association, WCRF, National Institute for Health Research Health Technology Assessment Programme (Project IDs: 96/20/06, 96/20/99), National Cancer Research Institute (formed by Cancer Research UK, Medical Research Council, Department of Health)This is the final version of the article. It first appeared from Nature Publishing Group via http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/ejcn.2016.16

A global perspective on the trophic geography of sharks

Sharks are a diverse group of mobile predators that forage across varied spatial scales and have the potential to influence food web dynamics. The ecological consequences of recent declines in shark biomass may extend across broader geographic ranges if shark taxa display common behavioural traits. By tracking the original site of photosynthetic fixation of carbon atoms that were ultimately assimilated into muscle tissues of 5,394 sharks from 114 species, we identify globally consistent biogeographic traits in trophic interactions between sharks found in different habitats. We show that populations of shelf-dwelling sharks derive a substantial proportion of their carbon from regional pelagic sources, but contain individuals that forage within additional isotopically diverse local food webs, such as those supported by terrestrial plant sources, benthic production and macrophytes. In contrast, oceanic sharks seem to use carbon derived from between 30° and 50° of latitude. Global-scale compilations of stable isotope data combined with biogeochemical modelling generate hypotheses regarding animal behaviours that can be tested with other methodological approaches.This research was conducted as part of C.S.B.’s Ph.D dissertation, which was funded by the University of Southampton and NERC (NE/L50161X/1), and through a NERC Grant-in-Kind from the Life Sciences Mass Spectrometry Facility (LSMSF; EK267-03/16). We thank A. Bates, D. Sims, F. Neat, R. McGill and J. Newton for their analytical contributions and comments on the manuscripts.Peer reviewe

Diving into the vertical dimension of elasmobranch movement ecology

Knowledge of the three-dimensional movement patterns of elasmobranchs is vital to understand their ecological roles and exposure to anthropogenic pressures. To date, comparative studies among species at global scales have mostly focused on horizontal movements. Our study addresses the knowledge gap of vertical movements by compiling the first global synthesis of vertical habitat use by elasmobranchs from data obtained by deployment of 989 biotelemetry tags on 38 elasmobranch species. Elasmobranchs displayed high intra- and interspecific variability in vertical movement patterns. Substantial vertical overlap was observed for many epipelagic elasmobranchs, indicating an increased likelihood to display spatial overlap, biologically interact, and share similar risk to anthropogenic threats that vary on a vertical gradient. We highlight the critical next steps toward incorporating vertical movement into global management and monitoring strategies for elasmobranchs, emphasizing the need to address geographic and taxonomic biases in deployments and to concurrently consider both horizontal and vertical movements