REPS Invertebrates Stable Isotope Analysis

The process of fractionation, during which (typically) lighter elemental isotopes are preferentially incorporated in biochemical processes, produces stable isotopes that can be tracked through biotissue. The signatures of various isotopes in biotissue, representative of the proportion of heavy isotope integrated, provide important information regarding the food web dynamics in the system. As long-lived, ubiquitous aquatic consumers of both primary producers and other invertebrates, macroinvertebrates represent various trophic consumers above primary producers. Nitrogen and carbon stable isotopes were tracked in samples gathered over the open water months of 2012 (June, July, August, October) and 2013 (July, August, September) .