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Longitudinal and vertical trends in stable isotope signatures (δ13C and δ15N) of omnivorous and carnivorous copepods across the South Atlantic Ocean

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Abstract

Stable isotope (SI) ratios of carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N) were measured in omnivorous and carnivorous deep-sea copepods of the families Euchaetidae and Aetideidae across the Atlantic sector of the Southern Ocean to establish their trophic positions. Due to high and variable C/N ratios related to differences in lipid content, δ13C was corrected using a lipid-normalisation model. δ15N signals ranged from 3.0–6.9‰ in mesopelagic species to 7.0–9.5‰ in bathypelagic congeners. Among the carnivorous Paraeuchaeta species, the epi- to mesopelagic species Paraeuchaeta antarctica had lower δ15N values than the mesopelagic P. rasa and bathypelagic P. barbata. The same trend was observed among omnivorous Aetideidae, but was not significant. In the most abundant species P. antarctica, individuals from the western Atlantic had higher δ13C and δ15N values than specimens at the eastern stations. These longitudinal changes in δ13C and δ15N values were attributed to regional differences in hydrography and sea surface temperature (SST), in particular related to a northward extension of the Antarctic Polar Front (APF) at the easternmost stations. The results indicate that even in a mesopelagic carnivorous species, the changes in surface stable isotope signatures are pronounced.

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Acknowledgments

We are grateful to the captain and crew of R/V Polarstern for their skilful support during the cruise. Meike Stumpp assisted in sampling and field work. This study was funded by Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG project AU 175/3).

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  1. Marine Zoology (FB 2), University of Bremen, P.O. Box 330 440, 28334, Bremen, Germany

    Silke Laakmann & Holger Auel

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  1. Silke Laakmann
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  2. Holger Auel
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Correspondence to Silke Laakmann.

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Communicated by U. Sommer.

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Laakmann, S., Auel, H. Longitudinal and vertical trends in stable isotope signatures (δ13C and δ15N) of omnivorous and carnivorous copepods across the South Atlantic Ocean. Mar Biol 157, 463–471 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00227-009-1332-9

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