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Sensitivity of δ13C values of seabird tissues to combined spatial, temporal and ecological drivers: a simulation approach

Sensitivity of δ13C values of seabird tissues to combined spatial, temporal and ecological drivers: a simulation approach
Sensitivity of δ13C values of seabird tissues to combined spatial, temporal and ecological drivers: a simulation approach

Biologging technologies have revolutionised our understanding of the foraging ecology and life history traits of marine predators, allowing for high resolution information about location, and in some cases, foraging behaviour of wild animals. At the same time, stable isotope ecologists have independently developed methods to infer location and foraging ecology (trophic geography). To date, relatively few studies have combined these two approaches, despite the potential wealth of complementary information. In marine systems, spatial and trophic information are coded in the isotopic composition of carbon and nitrogen in animal tissues, but interpretation of isotope values is limited by both the lack of reference maps (isoscapes) needed to relate the isotopic composition of an animal's tissues to a location, and the relatively large number of variables that could influence tissue isotope compositions. Simulation modelling can help to interpret measured tissue isotope compositions of migratory animals in the context of spatio-temporally dynamic isotopic baselines. Here, we couple individual-based movement models with global marine isotope models to explore the sensitivity of tissue δ13C values to a range of extrinsic (environmental) and intrinsic (behavioural, physiological) drivers. We use in-silico experiments to simulate isotopic compositions expected for birds exhibiting different movement and foraging behaviours and compare these simulated data to isotopic data recovered from biologger-equipped female northern giant petrels Macronectes halli incubating eggs on sub-Antarctic Marion Island. Our simulations suggest that in the studied system, time is a strong driver of isotopic variance. Accordingly, this implies that caution should be used when comparing δ13C values of marine predators’ tissues between seasons and years. We show how an in-silico experimental approach can be used to explore the sensitivity of animal tissue isotopic compositions to complex and often interacting drivers. Appreciation of the principle drivers behind isotopic variance specific to a given animal and geographic context can enhance inferences of geolocation as well as foraging behaviour, and can be applied to any mobile predator. Models can be relativey simple or complex and multi-layered depending on the level of ecological realism required. Future investigations can use other isoscapes, including terrestrial isoscapes and more complex or different movement models.

Agent-based movement models, Isoscapes, Marine predators, δC
0022-0981
12-21
Carpenter-Kling, Tegan
1d35fc56-1e0f-4d27-ab94-41bd2b876a91
Pistorius, Pierre
5a585272-2721-45dd-9384-56a05a477b36
Connan, Maëlle
96e55fc2-588e-47ef-87d2-ae8c9a09e529
Reisinger, Ryan
0d12b108-03a1-4e09-8411-2fe9b6d6dc33
Magozzi, Sarah
04b10c48-de68-4c20-ad93-eeb32ce442dc
Trueman, Clive
d00d3bd6-a47b-4d47-89ae-841c3d506205
Carpenter-Kling, Tegan
1d35fc56-1e0f-4d27-ab94-41bd2b876a91
Pistorius, Pierre
5a585272-2721-45dd-9384-56a05a477b36
Connan, Maëlle
96e55fc2-588e-47ef-87d2-ae8c9a09e529
Reisinger, Ryan
0d12b108-03a1-4e09-8411-2fe9b6d6dc33
Magozzi, Sarah
04b10c48-de68-4c20-ad93-eeb32ce442dc
Trueman, Clive
d00d3bd6-a47b-4d47-89ae-841c3d506205

Carpenter-Kling, Tegan, Pistorius, Pierre, Connan, Maëlle, Reisinger, Ryan, Magozzi, Sarah and Trueman, Clive (2019) Sensitivity of δ13C values of seabird tissues to combined spatial, temporal and ecological drivers: a simulation approach. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology, 512, 12-21. (doi:10.1016/j.jembe.2018.12.007).

Record type: Article

Abstract

Biologging technologies have revolutionised our understanding of the foraging ecology and life history traits of marine predators, allowing for high resolution information about location, and in some cases, foraging behaviour of wild animals. At the same time, stable isotope ecologists have independently developed methods to infer location and foraging ecology (trophic geography). To date, relatively few studies have combined these two approaches, despite the potential wealth of complementary information. In marine systems, spatial and trophic information are coded in the isotopic composition of carbon and nitrogen in animal tissues, but interpretation of isotope values is limited by both the lack of reference maps (isoscapes) needed to relate the isotopic composition of an animal's tissues to a location, and the relatively large number of variables that could influence tissue isotope compositions. Simulation modelling can help to interpret measured tissue isotope compositions of migratory animals in the context of spatio-temporally dynamic isotopic baselines. Here, we couple individual-based movement models with global marine isotope models to explore the sensitivity of tissue δ13C values to a range of extrinsic (environmental) and intrinsic (behavioural, physiological) drivers. We use in-silico experiments to simulate isotopic compositions expected for birds exhibiting different movement and foraging behaviours and compare these simulated data to isotopic data recovered from biologger-equipped female northern giant petrels Macronectes halli incubating eggs on sub-Antarctic Marion Island. Our simulations suggest that in the studied system, time is a strong driver of isotopic variance. Accordingly, this implies that caution should be used when comparing δ13C values of marine predators’ tissues between seasons and years. We show how an in-silico experimental approach can be used to explore the sensitivity of animal tissue isotopic compositions to complex and often interacting drivers. Appreciation of the principle drivers behind isotopic variance specific to a given animal and geographic context can enhance inferences of geolocation as well as foraging behaviour, and can be applied to any mobile predator. Models can be relativey simple or complex and multi-layered depending on the level of ecological realism required. Future investigations can use other isoscapes, including terrestrial isoscapes and more complex or different movement models.

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More information

Accepted/In Press date: 18 December 2018
e-pub ahead of print date: 4 January 2019
Published date: March 2019
Keywords: Agent-based movement models, Isoscapes, Marine predators, δC

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 429897
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/429897
ISSN: 0022-0981
PURE UUID: ef73016b-cfef-49c5-b1d6-701edcd223ed
ORCID for Clive Trueman: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0002-4995-736X

Catalogue record

Date deposited: 08 Apr 2019 16:30
Last modified: 18 Mar 2024 02:58

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Contributors

Author: Tegan Carpenter-Kling
Author: Pierre Pistorius
Author: Maëlle Connan
Author: Ryan Reisinger
Author: Sarah Magozzi
Author: Clive Trueman ORCID iD

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