Arctic seabirds and shrinking sea ice: egg analyses reveal the importance of ice-derived resources.

ABSTRACT: In the Arctic, sea-ice plays a central role in the functioning of marine food webs and its rapid shrinking has large effects on the biota. It is thus crucial to assess the importance of sea-ice and ice-derived resources to Arctic marine species. Here, we used a multi-biomarker approach combining Highly Branched Isoprenoids (HBIs) with δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N to evaluate how much Arctic seabirds rely on sea-ice derived resources during the pre-laying period, and if changes in sea-ice extent and duration affect their investment in reproduction. Eggs of thick-billed murres (Uria lomvia) and northern fulmars (Fulmarus glacialis) were collected in the Canadian Arctic during four years of highly contrasting ice conditions, and analysed for HBIs, isotopic (carbon and nitrogen) and ene

SUBMITTER: Cusset F 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6817817 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature