Trophic Links: Forage Fish, Their Prey, and Ice Seals in the Northeast Chukchi Sea
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Trophic Links: Forage Fish, Their Prey, and Ice Seals in the Northeast Chukchi Sea Principal Investigator Brenda L. Norcross1 Co-Investigators Larissa Horstmann-Dehn1 Brenda A. Holladay1 Collaborators Lorena E. Edenfield1 Sara S. Carroll 1University of Alaska Fairbanks, Institute of Marine Science FINAL REPORT July 2015 OCS Study BOEM 2013-00118 Contact Information: email: [email protected] phone: 907.474.6782 fax: 907.474.7204 Coastal Marine Institute School of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences University of Alaska Fairbanks P. O. Box 757220 Fairbanks, AK 99775-7220 This study was funded in part by the U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) through Cooperative Agreement M09AC15432 between BOEM, Alaska Outer Continental Shelf Region, and the University of Alaska Fairbanks. This report, OCS Study BOEM 2013-00118, is available through the Coastal Marine Institute, the Department of Interior library, and electronically from http://www.boem.gov/BOEM-Newsroom/Library/Publications/Alaska- Scientific-and-Technical-Publications.aspx. The views and conclusions contained in this document are those of the authors and should not be interpreted as representing the opinions or policies of the U.S. Government. Mention of trade names or commercial products does not constitute their endorsement by the U.S. Government. TABLE OF CONTENTS List of Tables ............................................................................................................................................... v List of Figures ............................................................................................................................................. vi Chapter 1: General Introduction............................................................................................................... 1 Chapter 2: Comparison of Short-term and Long-term Diets of Eleven Arctic Fish Species ............... 7 2.1 Introduction ........................................................................................................................................ 7 2.2 Materials and Methods ....................................................................................................................... 8 2.2.1 Fish Collections ........................................................................................................................... 8 2.2.2 Stomach Content Analysis .......................................................................................................... 9 2.2.3 Sample Preparation for Stable Isotope Analysis ......................................................................... 9 2.2.4 Statistical Analysis .................................................................................................................... 11 2.3 Results .............................................................................................................................................. 12 2.3.1 Stable Isotope Ratios of Fish Prey ............................................................................................ 12 2.3.2 Short- and Long-term Diets for Fish Length Class ................................................................... 12 2.3.3 Short- and Long-term Diets Within Fish Families .................................................................... 13 2.3.3 Short- and Long-term Diets Among Fish Species ..................................................................... 13 2.4 Discussion......................................................................................................................................... 14 2.5 Acknowledgments ............................................................................................................................ 22 2.6 Tables ............................................................................................................................................... 23 2.7 Figures .............................................................................................................................................. 33 2.8 Appendices ....................................................................................................................................... 38 Chapter 3: Interannual Diet Variability for Five Arctic Fish Species in the Chukchi Sea ................ 41 3.1 Introduction ...................................................................................................................................... 41 3.2 Materials and Methods ..................................................................................................................... 42 3.2.1 Fish Collections ......................................................................................................................... 42 3.2.2 Stomach Content Analysis ........................................................................................................ 43 3.2.3 Sample Preparation for Stable Isotope Analysis ....................................................................... 44 3.2.4 Stable Isotope Mixing Model .................................................................................................... 45 3.2.5 Statistical Analysis .................................................................................................................... 47 3.3 Results .............................................................................................................................................. 47 3.3.1 Fish Prey Groups ....................................................................................................................... 47 3.3.2 Short-term Diets Based on Stomach Content Analysis ............................................................. 47 3.3.3 Long-term Diets Using Stable Isotope Ratios and Mixing Models .......................................... 48 3.4 Discussion......................................................................................................................................... 50 3.5 Acknowledgments ............................................................................................................................ 53 3.6 Tables ............................................................................................................................................... 55 3.7 Figures .............................................................................................................................................. 61 3.8 Appendices ....................................................................................................................................... 69 iii Chapter 4: Interannual Variations in the Diet of Ice Seals Assessed by Isotopic Mixing Models ..... 71 4.1 Introduction ...................................................................................................................................... 71 4.2 Materials and Methods ..................................................................................................................... 73 4.2.1 Seal Sampling ............................................................................................................................ 73 4.2.2 Fish Sampling ............................................................................................................................ 74 4.2.3 Sample Processing ..................................................................................................................... 74 4.2.4 Stable Isotope Analysis ............................................................................................................. 75 4.2.5 Statistical Analysis and Isotope Mixing Model ........................................................................ 75 4.2.6 Mixing Model Performance ...................................................................................................... 77 4.2.7 Tissue Turnover Calculation ..................................................................................................... 78 4.3 Results .............................................................................................................................................. 79 4.4 Discussion......................................................................................................................................... 80 4.4.1 Ringed Seals .............................................................................................................................. 80 4.4.2 Bearded Seals ............................................................................................................................ 81 4.4.3 Spotted Seals ............................................................................................................................. 82 4.4.4 Among Seal Species .................................................................................................................. 82 4.5 Acknowledgments ............................................................................................................................ 85 4.6 Tables ............................................................................................................................................... 86 4.7 Figures .............................................................................................................................................. 90 4.8 Appendices ....................................................................................................................................... 93 Chapter