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The structure of subtidal food webs in the northern Gulf of St. Lawrence, Canada, as revealed by the analysis of stable isotopes

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 April 2010

Marc-Olivier Nadon  and
John H. Himmelman
Marc-Olivier Nadon*
Affiliation:
Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, University of Miami, 4600 Rickenbacker Causeway, Miami, FL 33149-1098, USA Département de Biologie & Québec-Océan, Université Laval, Québec, Québec, G1K 7P4, Canada
John H. Himmelman
Affiliation:
Département de Biologie & Québec-Océan, Université Laval, Québec, Québec, G1K 7P4, Canada
*
a Corresponding author: marc.nadon@gmail.com
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Abstract

We analyzed stable isotopes of carbon and nitrogen to investigate the trophic structure of the subtidal food web around the Mingan Islands, northern Gulf of St. Lawrence, eastern Canada. All benthic consumers were enriched in 13C (mean δ13C of –17.1‰) compared to particulate organic matter (POM: –23.3‰). Nitrogen stable isotope ratios ranged from 6‰ to 14‰ and the organisms studied fell into three distinct trophic groups, primary producers, primary consumers (herbivores), and predators. The sea star Crossaster papposus and the sculpin Myoxocephalus scorpius, known to be top level predators, had slightly higher δ15N than other predators. Although the average isotope signature of the sea star Solaster endeca placed it among regular predators, the δ15N increased with sea star size and large individuals could be considered as top predators. The relatively small number of organisms located at intermediate trophic levels suggests a low level of omnivory in the Mingan Islands’ system, which contrasts with previously described benthic systems that exhibit a continuum between herbivores and predators. Low omnivory, in addition to low diversity, suggests that this ecosystem may be relatively unstable if exposed to natural and/or anthropogenic disturbances such as exploitation and climate change.

Keywords

Stable isotopesFood websOmnivoryCommunity structureTrophic interactionGulf of St. Lawrence
Type
Research Article
Information
Aquatic Living Resources , Volume 23 , Issue 2 , April 2010 , pp. 167 - 176
Copyright
© EDP Sciences, IFREMER, IRD 2010

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