Seasonal changes in fatty acid composition of estuarine intertidal biofilm : implications for western sandpiper migration

Simple item page

Simple item page

Full item details

dc.contributor.author
Schnurr, Peter J.
Drever, Mark C.
Kling, Hedy J.
Elner, Robert W.
Arts, Michael T.
dc.date.accepted
2019-04-28
dc.date.accessioned
2025-04-03T19:42:11Z
dc.date.available
2025-04-03T19:42:11Z
dc.date.issued
2019-08-31
dc.date.submitted
2019-02-11
dc.description.abstract - en
For shorebirds, long distance migration is an energy-demanding activity, and lipids (largely comprised of fatty acids) with their high energy density are an ideal fuel. Diatoms in intertidal biofilms provide a rich source of fatty acids for fuel and for critical physiological functions. We compared the composition of intertidal biofilm on mudflats at Roberts Bank, a major stopover site for shorebirds in the Fraser River estuary, between two seasons: spring, during the northward breeding migration of Western Sandpipers (<i>Calidris mauri</i>), and winter, when no migrating shorebirds are present. Mass fractions of fatty acids in biofilm (μg fatty acids/g sample in the upper 2 mm of biofilm-containing sediment) in April were 3-7× higher than in winter (January and February). This difference included total saturated, monounsaturated, polyunsaturated, omega-3 (n-3), and omega-6 (n-6) fatty acids, as well as individual fatty acids such as palmitoleic acid (16:1n-7), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA; 20:5n-3), and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA; 22:6n-3). In addition, organic content was ~25% higher in spring compared to winter. The microphytobenthos in spring biofilm was dominated by marine-influenced diatoms (primarily from the genera <i>Nitzschia</i> and <i>Navicula</i>) which made up >50% (μg/ml) of total biofilm biomass. Higher fatty acid and organic content in biofilm during spring provide shorebirds with both energy and physiologically important fatty acids to support their migration. These findings are consistent with the ‘green wave’ hypothesis, whereby bird migration broadly coincides temporally with the availability of energy and essential nutrients. The role of diatoms as purveyors of important fatty acids to shorebirds underscores the need for new conservation policies that protect the abundance of organic and fatty acid content of intertidal biofilm at estuarine stopover sites.
dc.identifier.issn
1096-0015
0272-7714
dc.identifier.uri
https://open-science.canada.ca/handle/123456789/3553
dc.language.iso
en
dc.publisher - en
Elsevier
dc.relation.isreplacedby
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecss.2019.04.047
dc.rights - en
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0)
dc.rights - fr
Creative Commons Attribution - Pas d'utilisation commerciale - Pas de modification 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0)
dc.rights.openaccesslevel - en
Green
dc.rights.openaccesslevel - fr
Vert
dc.rights.uri - en
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/
dc.rights.uri - fr
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/deed.fr
dc.subject - en
Estuaries
Migratory birds
dc.subject - fr
Estuaire
Oiseau migrateur
dc.subject.en - en
Estuaries
Migratory birds
dc.subject.fr - fr
Estuaire
Oiseau migrateur
dc.title - en
Seasonal changes in fatty acid composition of estuarine intertidal biofilm : implications for western sandpiper migration
dc.type - en
Accepted manuscript
dc.type - fr
Manuscrit accepté
local.article.journaltitle - en
Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science
local.article.journalvolume
224
local.pagination
48 pages
local.peerreview - en
Yes
local.peerreview - fr
Oui
Download(s)

Original bundle

Now showing 1 - 1 of 1

Thumbnail image

Name: SeasonalChangesFattyAcidCompositionEstuarineIntertidalBiofilmImplicationsWesternSandpiperMigration.pdf

Size: 843.53 KB

Format: PDF

Download file

Collection(s)

Page details

Date modified: