Article (Scientific journals)
Trophodynamics of estuarine intertidal harpacticoid copepods based on stable isotope composition and fatty acid profiles
Cnudde, Clio; Moens, Tom; Werbrouck, Eva et al.
2015In Marine Ecology. Progress Series, 524, p. 225-239
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Keywords :
stable isotope; meiofaune; fatty acid; estuarine; trophic web; copepod
Abstract :
[en] Trophic interactions at the basis of food webs, for instance between meiofauna, primary producers and bacteria, are key drivers of benthic energy fluxes. Yet both qualitative and quantitative information about meiofaunal resource utilization under in situ conditions is scant. By means of natural stable isotope ratios of carbon and nitrogen and of fatty acid (FA) profiles, we examined the variability of in situ resource utilization of a range of harpacticoid copepod species from 5 stations in an estuarine intertidal area. These stations, located in different habitats, differed in sediment granulometry, resource availability, presence/absence of vegetation and other environmental variables, as well as in copepod species composition. Our goal was to describe inter-specific differences among harpacticoid species, as well as spatio-temporal variability within species. Despite differences in resource availability between habitats, δ13C data clearly point at microphytobenthos (MPB) as the major carbon source to the harpacticoid assemblages at all 5 stations. Small differences in carbon isotopic ratios between co-occurring species indicate some degree of resource differentiation, whereas both the δ15N and FA composition suggest that several harpacticoid species obtain MPB carbon indirectly, perhaps through feeding on bacteria or ciliates. For a limited number of species, such as Paraleptastacus spinicauda, clear dietary contributions of suspended particulate matter and bacteria were found, and MPB appeared to have only a small or no contribution. Even in vegetated salt-marsh stations, Spartina anglica detritus did not appear to contribute to copepod diets. The δ13C of Cletodidae were highly depleted, reflecting a contribution of methane-derived carbon.
Disciplines :
Environmental sciences & ecology
Zoology
Aquatic sciences & oceanology
Author, co-author :
Cnudde, Clio;  Universiteit Gent - Ugent > Marine Biology
Moens, Tom;  Universiteit Gent - Ugent > Marine Biology
Werbrouck, Eva;  Universiteit Gent - Ugent > Marine Biology
Lepoint, Gilles  ;  Université de Liège > Département de Biologie, Ecologie et Evolution > Océanologie
Van Gansbeke, Dirk;  Universiteit Gent - Ugent > Marine Biology
De Troch, Marleen;  Universiteit Gent - Ugent > Marine Biology
Language :
English
Title :
Trophodynamics of estuarine intertidal harpacticoid copepods based on stable isotope composition and fatty acid profiles
Publication date :
2015
Journal title :
Marine Ecology. Progress Series
ISSN :
0171-8630
eISSN :
1616-1599
Publisher :
Inter-Research Science Publishing, Oldendorf Luhe, Germany
Volume :
524
Pages :
p225-239
Peer reviewed :
Peer Reviewed verified by ORBi
Name of the research project :
Project 3G019209W
Funders :
Flemish Science Foundation
Available on ORBi :
since 06 April 2015

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