(Tables S1,2) Stable isotopes in muscle tissue of polar bears (Ursus maritimus) from various regions of the Arctic
Citation
McKinney M A, Letcher R J, Aars J, Born E W, Branigan M, Dietz R, Evans T J, Gabrielsen G W, Muir D C G, Peacock E, Sonne C (2011). (Tables S1,2) Stable isotopes in muscle tissue of polar bears (Ursus maritimus) from various regions of the Arctic. PANGAEA - Publishing Network for Geoscientific and Environmental Data. Occurrence dataset https://doi.org/10.1594/pangaea.816752 accessed via GBIF.org on 2023-10-04.Description
The relative contribution of regional contamination versus dietary differences to geographic variation in polar bear (Ursus maritimus) contaminant levels is unknown. Dietary variation between Alaska, Canada, East Greenland, and Svalbard subpopulations was assessed by muscle nitrogen and carbon stable isotope (d15N, d13C) and adipose fatty acid (FA) signatures relative to their main prey (ringed seals). Western and southern Hudson Bay signatures were characterized by depleted d15N and d13C, lower proportions of C20 and C22 monounsaturated FAs and higher proportions of C18 and longer chain polyunsaturated FAs. East Greenland and Svalbard signatures were reversed relative to Hudson Bay. Alaskan and Canadian Arctic signatures were intermediate. Between-subpopulation dietary differences predominated over interannual, seasonal, sex, or age variation. Among various brominated and chlorinated contaminants, diet signatures significantly explained variation in adipose levels of polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) flame retardants (14-15%) and legacy PCBs (18-21%). However, dietary influence was contaminant class-specific, since only low or nonsignificant proportions of variation in organochlorine pesticide (e.g., chlordane) levels were explained by diet. Hudson Bay diet signatures were associated with lower PCB and PBDE levels, whereas East Greenland and Svalbard signatures were associated with higher levels. Understanding diet/food web factors is important to accurately interpret contaminant trends, particularly in a changing Arctic.Taxonomic Coverages
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Animaliarank: kingdom
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Chordatarank: kingdom
Geographic Coverages
Event: Alaska-Bering-Chukchi_Sea,
Bering Sea
; Event: BaffinBay-NE-Baffin_Is,
Baffin Bay
; Event: DavisStrait-SE-Baffin-Is,
Hudson Strait
; Event: E-Greenland-Scoresby_Sound,
North Greenland Sea
; Event: Gulf-of-Boothia,
Northwestern Passages
; Event: Lancaster-Jones_Sound,
Northwestern Passages
; Event: N-Beaufort_Sea,
Beaufort Sea
; Event: S_Hudson_Bay,
Hudson Bay
; Event: S-Beaufort_Sea,
Beaufort Sea
; Event: Svalbard-BarentsSea,
North Greenland Sea
; Event: W_Hudson_Bay,
Hudson Bay
;
Bibliographic Citations
Contacts
Melissa A McKinneyoriginator
Robert J Letcher
originator
Jon Aars
originator
Erik W Born
originator
Marsha Branigan
originator
Rune Dietz
originator
Thomas J Evans
originator
Geir W Gabrielsen
originator
Derek C G Muir
originator
Elizabeth Peacock
originator
Christian Sonne
originator
metadata author
PANGAEA - Data Publisher for Earth & Environmental Science
email: info@pangaea.de
homepage: https://www.pangaea.de
Frank-Oliver Glöckner
administrative point of contact
Robert Huber
administrative point of contact