Data archive: Trophic structure of cold-water coral communities revealed from the analysis of tissue isotopes and fatty acid composition

<p>Data belonging to the paper:&nbsp;</p> <p>Dick van Oevelen, Gerard C. A. Duineveld,&nbsp;Marc S. S. Lavaleye, Tina Kutti&nbsp;and Karline Soetaert (2017) Trophic structure of cold-water coral communities revealed from the analysis of 55 tissue isotopes and fatty acid composition. Marine Biology Research, DOI:&nbsp;https://doi.org/10.1080/17451000.2017.1398404</p> <p>Abstract:</p> <p>The trophic structure of cold-water coral reef communities at two contrasting locations, the 800-<br> m deep Belgica Mounds (Irish margin) and 300-m deep Tr&aelig;na reefs (Norwegian Shelf), was<br> investigated using stable isotope (&delta;13C and &delta;15N) and fatty-acid composition analysis. A<br> broad range of specimens, with emphasis on (commercial) fish species, and organic matter<br> sources were sampled using a variety of tools. Irrespective of the environmental and<br> geographical setting, the &delta;15N values indicated that the food web encompasses roughly 1.5<br> to 3 trophic levels. Mobile echinoderms, i.e. sea urchins and sea stars, had highest &delta;15N<br> values, indicative of a high trophic position in the food web. The fraction of bacterial fatty<br> acids in reef fauna was generally low (&lt;5%), indicating that enhanced bacterial production in<br> the water column through seafloor seepage of nutrients (&lsquo;hydraulic theory&rsquo;) does not form a<br> significant energy pathway into the food web. The high fraction of algal and essential fatty<br> acids in reef fauna and fish at both locations indicates a close coupling with surface<br> productivity, but the transport mechanism depends on the hydrographic setting. At Tr&aelig;na,<br> Calanus copepods and euphausiids form an additional link between primary production and<br> fish, which is largely absent at Belgica Mounds. At Belgica Mounds, the reef community is<br> primarily supported by phytodetritus, as evidenced by the high contribution of algal fatty<br> acids in faunal tissue and seasonal chlorophyll a deposition and marine snow at the reef. The<br> environmental setting of cold-water coral reefs influences the structure of the associated<br> food web.</p>