Abstract
Mean ambient water temperatures experienced by individual young-of-the-year (YOY) Arctic charr, Salvelinus alpinus (L.), from a Svalbard lake were estimated using measurements of oxygen stable isotopes (δ18O) derived from fish otoliths. Otolith-derived water temperatures differed significantly from temperatures recorded at the outlet river of the Dieset watercourse but were consistent with temperatures previously recorded in shallow littoral areas of other Svalbard lakes where YOY charr are commonly found. This indicates that fixed-point monitoring does not necessarily represent the temperatures and thermal habitats used by individual fish. Otolith-derived water temperatures were also positively related to fish length-at-capture and otolith size, although much of the variation remained unexplained. Differences among individuals could be related to variability in food availability and food intake as well as variation in the initial fish size at hatching. Implications for subsequent investigations into how YOY charr respond and adapt to future climate change are discussed.
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Acknowledgments
We would like to thank Hanne Hegseth and Eigil T. Bjørvik for assistance in the field and the staff at the Environmental Isotope Laboratory at the University of Waterloo for running the analyses. We also acknowledge two anonymous referees for helpful comments and suggestions. This study was funded by the Norwegian Research Council (grant number 172148/v10).
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Godiksen, J.A., Svenning, MA., Sinnatamby, R.N. et al. Stable isotope-based determinations of the average temperatures experienced by young-of-the-year Svalbard Arctic charr (Salvelinus alpinus (L.)). Polar Biol 34, 591–596 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00300-010-0907-8
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00300-010-0907-8