REPS Periphyton 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 in biotissue. The signatures of isotopes in biotissue, representative of the proportion of heavy isotope integrated, provide important information regarding the food web of the system. Periphyton, as a primary producer, likely provides nitrogen and carbon signatures signalling the bottom of the food web. Nitrogen and carbon stable isotopes are tracked in samples gathered over the open water months of 2012 (June, July, August, September) and 2013 (July, August, October) .