Descripción del proyecto
Trazadores bioquímicos en la base de la red alimentaria atlántica
La actividad humana está dañando gravemente los océanos y afectando a los procesos ecosistémicos marinos. Para revertir esta situación, debemos controlar los océanos a escala espaciotemporal. El proyecto ISOMOD, financiado con fondos europeos, mapeará los trazadores biogeoquímicos que se encuentran en la base de la red alimentaria para determinar los efectos de los factores de estrés antropogénico. El equipo observará los datos de la composición de isótopos estables y los someterá a un innovador enfoque estadístico espacial para generar patrones isotópicos y desarrollar una visión completa del ámbito investigado en relación a tres medidas básicas de procesos ecosistémicos marinos: la productividad, la estructura de la red alimentaria y las rutas de migración animal. Los resultados contribuirán a mejorar el estudio de los cambios en la dieta del frailecillo común y a predecir la distribución de la caballa.
Objetivo
The immensity of the oceans makes it difficult to monitor them at a spatio-temporal scale that is relevant for resolving ecological processes and responses to decades of pressure from multiple anthropological stressors. With IsoMod, I aim to map the biogeochemical tracers (stable isotope (SI) composition) at the base of the food web to inform three key measures of marine ecosystem processes that might be affected by these stressors: productivity, food web structure and animal migration pathways. The isoscapes will be developed at the scale of the North Atlantic Ocean and will be based on Calanus spp. carbon and nitrogen SI values, δ13C and δ15N. Lipid rich zooplankton organisms such as C. finmarchicus fuel a large part of the higher trophic level in the North Atlantic, including many species of fish, birds and mammals. I will use a recently developed spatial statistic approach where high resolution observational data (e.g. satellite data) are applied as predictors of SI variability, and apply these models to produce isoscapes with a full coverage of the study area. The application of these isoscapes will be showcased in two case studies. The first will test the role of changes in Atlantic puffin (Fratercula arctica) winter diet in key life-history parameters (e.g. body condition, survival rate). Specifically, the isoscapes will be used to provide the trophic baseline needed to investigate changes in puffin trophic position associated with changes in diet. The second case study will use prey SI to improve forecast of Northeast Atlantic mackerel (Scomber scombrus) summer distribution. Variation in SI values can be linked to variation in secondary productivity and this will be used to identify best foraging conditions for mackerel ahead of their migration to the summer feeding grounds. This information will be investigated as a driver of mackerel summer distribution and their recent shift in distribution.
Ámbito científico
- engineering and technologymechanical engineeringvehicle engineeringaerospace engineeringsatellite technology
- natural sciencesbiological sciencesbiochemistrybiomoleculeslipids
- medical and health scienceshealth sciencesnutrition
- natural sciencesbiological sciencesecologyecosystems
- natural sciencesbiological scienceszoologymammalogy
Palabras clave
Programa(s)
Régimen de financiación
MSCA-IF - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowships (IF)Coordinador
9019 Tromso
Noruega