SGER: A New Method for Trophic Reconstructions of Marine Fishes From d13C and d15N Analyses of Individual Amino Acids in Otoliths

SGER：通过耳石中单个氨基酸的 d13C 和 d15N 分析重建海洋鱼类营养的新方法

• 批准号: 0750894
• 负责人: Simon Thorrold
• 金额: $ 15万
• 依托单位: Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2007
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2007-09-01 至 2009-08-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0750894&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: SGER; New; Method; Trophic; Reconstructions

Stable carbon and nitrogen signatures have proved useful in reconstructing migratory pathways and food webs in marine fishes. Otoliths are particularly amenable to suitable for such analyses because they contain a dated record of environmental and physiological conditions experienced by a fish throughout its life. However, the full potential of stable isotope analysis has yet to be realized due to the small quantity of organic material present in otoliths. Hence, the investigators will develop a new technique, based on moving wire isotope ratio mass spectrometry, for compound-specific analyses of d13C and d15N ratios in small (2-5 nmol) amounts of purified amino acids from otoliths in marine fishes. Once developed, the technique will be suitable for any application that requires measurement of C and N isotopes in organic material where sample quantity is limited. These data will be transformative when coupled with migratory information recorded in the inorganic isotope and trace element chemistry of otolith aragonite because researchers will be able to determine not only where an individual fish was living, but also what it was eating, throughout its life. The broader impacts include support for the PhD research of one student and incorporation of the research into courses taught by the investigator. The research will also benefit society by providing critical information for the development of ecosystem management strategies for marine-capture fisheries. The use of amino acids that fractionate trophically more than bulk C and N will undoubtedly improve resolution of diet studies based on C and N isotopes. This will, in turn, allow fisheries scientists to better understand the links between climate and fisheries production, and to explore these relationships during past regime shifts on the west coast of the U.S., and trophic cascades in the western Atlantic Ocean

稳定的碳和氮特征已被证明有助于重建海洋鱼类的洄游路径和食物网。耳石特别适合进行此类分析，因为它们包含鱼类一生所经历的环境和生理条件的过时记录。然而，由于耳石中存在少量有机物质，稳定同位素分析的全部潜力尚未实现。因此，研究人员将开发一种基于移动线同位素比率质谱法的新技术，用于对来自海洋鱼类耳石的少量（2-5 nmol）纯化氨基酸中的 d13C 和 d15N 比率进行化合物特异性分析。一旦开发出来，该技术将适用于任何需要测量样品数量有限的有机材料中 C 和 N 同位素的应用。当与耳石文石的无机同位素和微量元素化学中记录的洄游信息相结合时，这些数据将具有变革性，因为研究人员不仅能够确定单个鱼生活在哪里，还能够确定它在其一生中吃什么。更广泛的影响包括支持一名学生的博士研究以及将研究纳入研究者教授的课程中。 该研究还将为制定海洋捕捞渔业生态系统管理战略提供关键信息，从而造福社会。使用比大量碳和氮在营养上分馏更多的氨基酸无疑将提高基于碳和氮同位素的饮食研究的分辨率。反过来，这将使渔业科学家能够更好地了解气候与渔业生产之间的联系，并探索美国西海岸过去政权更迭和西大西洋营养级联期间的这些关系