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Improving marine ecosystem models with biochemical tracers

journal contribution
posted on 2023-05-19, 15:11 authored by Pethybridge, HR, Choy, CA, Polovina, JJ, Elizabeth FultonElizabeth Fulton
Empirical data on food web dynamics and predator-prey interactions underpin ecosystem models, which are increasingly used to support strategic management of marine resources. These data have traditionally derived from stomach content analysis, but new and complementary forms of ecological data are increasingly available from biochemical tracer techniques. Extensive opportunities exist to improve the empirical robustness of ecosystem models through the incorporation of biochemical tracer data and derived indices, an area that is rapidly expanding because of advances in analytical developments and sophisticated statistical techniques. Here, we explore the trophic information required by ecosystem model frameworks (species, individual, and size based) and match them to the most commonly used biochemical tracers (bulk tissue and compound-specific stable isotopes, fatty acids, and trace elements). Key quantitative parameters derived from biochemical tracers include estimates of diet composition, niche width, and trophic position. Biochemical tracers also provide powerful insight into the spatial and temporal variability of food web structure and the characterization of dominant basal and microbial food web groups. A major challenge in incorporating biochemical tracer data into ecosystem models is scale and data type mismatches, which can be overcome with greater knowledge exchange and numerical approaches that transform, integrate, and visualize data.

History

Publication title

Annual Review of Marine Science

Volume

10

Pagination

199-228

ISSN

1941-1405

Department/School

Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies

Publisher

Annual Reviews

Place of publication

United States

Rights statement

Copyright 2018 Annual Reviews

Repository Status

  • Restricted

Socio-economic Objectives

Assessment and management of terrestrial ecosystems

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