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Identifying migrations in marine fishes through stable‐isotope analysis
Author(s) -
Trueman C. N.,
MacKenzie K. M.,
Palmer M. R.
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
journal of fish biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.672
H-Index - 115
eISSN - 1095-8649
pISSN - 0022-1112
DOI - 10.1111/j.1095-8649.2012.03361.x
Subject(s) - geolocation , stable isotope ratio , otolith , isotope analysis , biology , porpoise , sampling (signal processing) , scale (ratio) , ecology , oceanography , fishery , fish <actinopterygii> , geography , geology , cartography , computer science , physics , filter (signal processing) , quantum mechanics , harbour , world wide web , computer vision , programming language
The isotopic composition of many elements varies across both land and ocean surfaces in a predictable fashion. These stable‐isotope ratios are transferred into animal tissues, potentially providing a powerful natural geospatial tag. To date, most studies using stable isotopes as geolocators in marine settings have focussed on mammals and seabirds conducting large ocean‐basin scale migrations. An increasing understanding of isotopic variation in the marine environment, and improved sampling and analytical techniques, however, means that stable isotopes now hold genuine promise as a natural geolocation tag in marine fishes. Here, the theoretical background underpinning the use of stable isotopes of C, N and O in otolith, scale and muscle tissues as geolocation tools in the marine environment is reviewed, and examples of their applications are provided.