• Login
    View Item 
    •   Home
    • University of Alaska Fairbanks
    • UAF Graduate School
    • Marine Biology
    • View Item
    •   Home
    • University of Alaska Fairbanks
    • UAF Graduate School
    • Marine Biology
    • View Item
    JavaScript is disabled for your browser. Some features of this site may not work without it.

    Browse

    All of Scholarworks@UACommunitiesPublication DateAuthorsTitlesSubjectsTypeThis CollectionPublication DateAuthorsTitlesSubjectsType

    My Account

    Login

    First Time Submitters, Register Here

    Register

    Statistics

    Display statistics

    Insight into the diet history of ice seals using isotopic signatures of muscle tissue and claws

    • CSV
    • RefMan
    • EndNote
    • BibTex
    • RefWorks
    Thumbnail
    Name:
    Carroll_S_2012.pdf
    Size:
    12.37Mb
    Format:
    PDF
    Download
    Author
    Carroll, Sara Shanae
    Chair
    Norcross, Brenda
    Horstmann-Dehn, Larissa
    Committee
    Quakenbush, Lori
    Wooller, Matthew
    Keyword
    Ringed seal
    Food
    Arctic regions
    Bearded seal
    Phoca largha
    Ribbon seal
    Metadata
    Show full item record
    URI
    http://hdl.handle.net/11122/8440
    Abstract
    Climate change and sea ice reduction in the Arctic may impact foraging of ice-associated predators. The goal of my thesis work was to examine interannual differences in the diet of ringed, bearded, spotted, and ribbon seals as described by stable nitrogen and carbon isotope ratios of muscle tissue and claws to assess foraging plasticity. Isotopic mixing models from muscle data were used to describe the proportional contribution of prey groups during 2003, 2008-2010. Results showed a higher proportional contribution of smelt (Osmeridae) and benthic prey to ringed and bearded seal diets in 2003 compared to 2008-2010. Seasonal keratin layers deposited in claws can document trophic history up to about 10 years. During 2007 (record ice minimum), proportionally more ringed seals fed at a lower trophic level, while spotted seal adults and young-of-the-year fed at a lower trophic level during 2006. Bearded seals may have been foraging more pelagically from 2008 to 2010. Ice seals may be taking advantage of more abundant pelagic crustaceans as the Arctic ecosystem changes to a pelagic-dominated food web. Interannual variations and high variability among species and individual diets illustrate the opportunistic nature and flexibility of ice seals to changes in prey composition.
    Description
    Thesis (M.S.) University of Alaska Fairbanks, 2012
    Table of Contents
    1. General introduction -- 2. Interannual variations in the diet of ice seals assessed by isotopic mixing models -- 3. Diet history of ice seals using stable isotope ratios in claw growth bands -- 4. General discussion.
    Date
    2012-05
    Type
    Thesis
    Collections
    Marine Biology

    entitlement

     
    ABOUT US|HELP|BROWSE|ADVANCED SEARCH

    The University of Alaska is an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer, educational institution and provider and prohibits illegal discrimination against any individual.

    Learn more about UA’s notice of nondiscrimination.

    Open Repository is a service operated by 
    Atmire NV
     

    Export search results

    The export option will allow you to export the current search results of the entered query to a file. Different formats are available for download. To export the items, click on the button corresponding with the preferred download format.

    By default, clicking on the export buttons will result in a download of the allowed maximum amount of items.

    To select a subset of the search results, click "Selective Export" button and make a selection of the items you want to export. The amount of items that can be exported at once is similarly restricted as the full export.

    After making a selection, click one of the export format buttons. The amount of items that will be exported is indicated in the bubble next to export format.