Stable Isotope (delta-nitrogen-15 and delta-carbon-13) and Fatty Acid Profiles in Eggs of Three Species of Marine Birds Nesting Sympatrically in the High Arctic.

摘要

Stable isotope (SI) and fatty acid (FA) profiles were examined in early and late-laid eggs of three marine bird species; Arctic Terns (Stema paradisaea), Common Eiders (Somateria mollissima) and Long-tailed Ducks (Clangula hyemalis), nesting on a Canadian High Arctic island. Differences in stable nitrogen isotope and FA patterns were observed between early and late-laid eggs. These differences may have reflected diet shifts during the period of egg formation or changes in the use of endogenous versus exogenous resources for egg formation. I also examined inter-specific differences in egg SI and FA composition and found consistent differences among all three species. These differences were consistent with literature on their foraging habits. My research has generated baseline information that can be compared to future data to identify and understand potential changes in the Arctic marine environment.