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USGS2005

Oceanographic conditions structure forage fishes into lipid-rich and lipid-poor communities in lower Cook Inlet, Alaska, USA

Forage fishes were sampled with a mid-water trawl in lower Cook Inlet, Alaska, USA, from late July to early August 1996 to 1999. We sampled 3 oceanographically distinct areas of lower Cook Inlet: waters adjacent to Chisik Island, in Kachemak Bay, and near the Barren Islands. In 163 tows using a mid-water trawl, 229437 fishes with fork length <200 mm were captured. More than 39 species were captured in lower Cook Inlet, but Pacific sand lance Ammodytes hexapterus, juvenile Pacific herring Clupea pallasi, and juvenile walleye pollock Theragra chalcogramma comprised 97.5% of the total individuals. Both species richness and species diversity were highest in warm, low-salinity, weakly stratified waters near Chisik Island. Kachemak Bay, which had thermohaline values between those found near Chisik Island and the Barren Islands, had an intermediate value of species richness. Species richness was lowest at the Barren Islands, an exposed region that regularly receives oceanic, upwelled water from the Gulf of Alaska. Non-metric multidimensional scaling (NMDS) was used to compute axes of species composition based on an ordination of pairwise site dissimilarities. Each axis was strongly rank-correlated with unique groups of species and examined separately as a function of environmental parameters (temperature, salinity, depth), area, and year. Oceanographic parameters accounted for 41 and 12% of the variability among forage fishes indicated by Axis 1 and Axis 2, respectively. Axis 1 also captured the spatial variability in the upwelled area of lower Cook Inlet and essentially contrasted the distribution of species among shallow, nearshore (sand lance, herring) and deep, offshore (walleye pollock) habitats. Axis 2 captured the spatial variability in forage fish communities from the north (Chisik Island) to the south (Barren Islands) of lower Cook Inlet and essentially contrasted a highly diverse community dominated by salmonids and osmerids (warmer, less saline) with a fish community dominated by Pacific sand lance (colder, more saline). Axis 3 reflected the negative spatial association of capelin Mallotus villosus and Pacific cod Gadus macrocephalus. Correlations of year with Axes 1 and 3 indicate that from 1996 to 1999 the forage fish community significantly decreased in lipid-poor gadids (walleye pollock and Pacific cod), and significantly increased in lipid-rich species such as Pacific sand lance, Pacific herring, and capelin.

Alaska↗

USGS1999

The effect of dietary protein and lipid source on dorsal fin erosion rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss

A study was conducted to determine the effect of dietary protein and lipid source on dorsal fin erosion in rainbow trout. Seven diets were each fed to four replicate lots of 300 first-feeding fry cultured in 75 l aluminum troughs for 8 weeks. Two basal diets were manufactured with approximately equal nutrient content, one using krill and squid meals and the other anchovy meal as the primary protein-containing ingredients. The meals used to manufacture the diets were separated into two fractions: lipid (ether-extractable); and protein/ash (non-ether-extractable) using a large soxhlet. The fractions were then recombined to create two additional diets; one containing anchovy protein/ash with krill/squid lipid, the other krill/squid protein/ash with fish lipid. A fifth diet recombined krill/squid protein/ash with krill/squid lipid to evaluate effects of the extraction process. Two additional treatments included a diet with a portion of the krill meal replaced by poultry by-product meal, and the basal anchovy meal diet supplemented with sodium, magnesium, and copper. Fish consuming diets containing anchovy meal as the primary protein source gained more weight ( P <0.05) than fish consuming krill/squid meal-based diets. Dorsal fin index (DFI, measured as mean dorsal fin height×100/total fish length) was greater ( P <0.05) for fish consuming diets containing krill/squid meal protein/ash fraction (DFI=9.9%–10.0%) than for fish consuming diets containing anchovy meal protein/ash fraction (DFI=4.9%–5.3%), regardless of lipid source. Supplementation of the anchovy meal diet with sodium, magnesium, and copper improved ( P <0.05) DFI by approximately 20%, but not to the level supported by the krill/squid meal protein/ash fraction diets. The cost of the krill meal diet was reduced by inclusion of poultry by-product meal without affecting dorsal fin condition. These data indicate that the dietary agent contributing to dorsal fin erosion in rainbow trout is not present in the ether-extractable fraction of the diet, but rather in the protein or mineral fraction.

Aquaculture↗

USGS2002

Response of pigeon guillemots to variable abundance of high-lipid and low-lipid prey

Populations of the pigeon guillemot (Cepphus columba) and other piscivores have been in decline for several decades in the Gulf of Alaska and Bering Sea, and a decline in abundance of lipid-rich schooling fishes is hypothesized as the major cause. We tested this hypothesis by studying the breeding biology of pigeon guillemots during 1995-1999 while simultaneously measuring prey abundance with beach seines and bottom trawls. Our study area (Kachemak Bay, Alaska) comprises two oceanographically distinct areas. Populations of a lipid-rich schooling fish, Pacific sand lance (Ammodytes hexapterus), were higher in the warmer Inner Bay than in the colder Outer Bay, and sand lance abundance was higher during warm years. Populations of low-lipid content demersal fishes were similar between areas. Chick survival to age 15 days was 47% higher in the Inner Bay (high-lipid diet) than in the Outer Bay (low-lipid diet), and estimated reproductive success (chicks fledged nest-1) was 62% higher in the Inner Bay than in the Outer Bay. Chick provisioning rate (kJ chick-1 h-1) increased with the proportion of sand lance in the diet (r2=0.21), as did growth rate (g day-1) of younger (beta) chicks in two-chick broods (r2=0.14). Pigeon guillemots in the Inner Bay switched to demersal prey during years of below-average sand lance abundance, and these birds reacted to 38-fold interannual changes in sand lance abundance with reductions in beta chick growth rates, with no decline in beta chick survival. In contrast, the proportion of nests experiencing brood reduction in the Outer Bay (demersal diet) increased >300% during years of below-average demersal abundance, although demersal fish abundance varied only 4-fold among years. Our results support the hypothesis that recovery of pigeon guillemot populations from the effects of the Exxon Valdez oil spill is limited by availability of lipid-rich prey.

Oecologia↗

USGS2018

Proximate composition, lipid utilization and validation of a non‐lethal method to determine lipid content in migrating American shad Alosa sapidissima

Lipid content forms the most important energy reserve in anadromous fish and can limit survival, migration and reproductive success. A fat meter was evaluated and compared with a traditional extractive method of measuring available lipid for migrating American shad Alosa sapidissima in the Connecticut River, U.S.A. The fat meter gives rapid (<10 s) and non‐lethal lipid measurements, whereas traditional methods require lethal sampling that is both time consuming and expensive. The fat‐meter readings had a strong relationship to traditional lipid extractions for 60 fish, 30 whole body ( R 2 = 0·72) and 30 fillet only ( R 2 = 0·81). Additional validation showed that fat‐meter readings captured the gradual decrease of lipid in individual fish over time, were not affected by removal of gonads or scales and were stable for fish exposed to water or air for 24 h after death. These experiments indicate that the fat meter can be used as a reliable tool for future A. sapidissima energetic studies, allowing for larger sample sizes and non‐lethal sampling.

Connecticut, Massachusetts, Vermont↗

USGS1974

Effect of dietary biotin and lipid on growth, stamina, lipid metabolism and biotin-containing enzymes in brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis)

Simultaneous dietary fat and biotin deficiencies in brook trout suppressed weight gain, feed/gain efficiency, swimming stamina, and total liver lipids. Dietary fat alone reduced body water, increased body fat and ash, reversed the elevating effect of biotin plus fat on liver palmitic and stearic acids, and widened the 16:0 to 16:1, 18:0 to 18:1, 18:2 to 20:4 and 18:3 to 22:5 liver fatty acid ratios. Fat also accentuated the accumulation of liver oleic and linoleic acids caused by biotin deprivation and apparently prevented docosapentaenoic acid biosynthesis in biotin-deprived trout. Fish fed fat with no biotin had the least, and those fed biotin with no fat the most, liver acetyl CoA carboxylase (ACC) and pyruvate carboxylase (PC) activities. Those fed neither supplemental biotin nor fat and those fed both showed equal liver ACC activity.

Journal of Nutrition↗

USGS2010

Effects of lipid extraction on stable isotope ratios in avian egg yolk: Is arithmetic correction a reliable alternative?

Many studies of nutrient allocation to egg production in birds use stable isotope ratios of egg yolk to identify the origin of nutrients. Dry egg yolk contains >50% lipids, which are known to be depleted in 13 C. Currently, researchers remove lipids from egg yolk using a chemical lipid-extraction procedure before analyzing the isotopic composition of protein in egg yolk. We examined the effects of chemical lipid extraction on ?? 13 C, ?? 15 N, and ?? 34 S of avian egg yolk and explored the utility of an arithmetic lipid correction model to adjust whole yolk ?? 13 C for lipid content. We analyzed the dried yolk of 15 captive Spectacled Eider (Somateriafischeri) and 20 wild King Eider (S. spectabilis) eggs, both as whole yolk and after lipid extraction with a 2:1 chloroform:methanol solution. We found that chemical lipid extraction leads to an increase of (mean ?? SD) 3.3 ?? 1.1% in ?? 13 C, 1.1 ?? 0.5% in ?? 15 N, and 2.3 ?? 1.1% in ?? 34 S. Arithmetic lipid correction provided accurate values for lipid-extracted S13C in captive Spectacled Eiders fed on a homogeneous high-quality diet. However, arithmetic lipid correction was unreliable for wild King Eiders, likely because of their differential incorporation of macronutrients from isotopically distinct environments during migration. For that reason, we caution against applying arithmetic lipid correction to the whole yolk ?? 13 C of migratory birds, because these methods assume that all egg macronutrients are derived from the same dietary sources. ?? 2010 The American Ornithologists' Union.

The Auk↗

USGS2026

Comparison of nonlethal techniques as indicators of lipid content in Lake Whitefish

Objective Energetic reserves are important indicators of the relative health of fish and fish populations. Body condition indices that relate fish weight to length are commonly used as quick, noninvasive methods for approximating lipid content and condition. A microwave meter (i.e., fat meter or energy meter) is a noninvasive method found to be more accurate in some species. The objective of this study was to evaluate the suitability of nonlethal techniques for estimating muscle lipid content in Lake Whitefish Coregonus clupeaformis . Methods We compared the sensitivity of three nonlethal indicators of lipid content to laboratory-extracted muscle lipid content in Lake Whitefish, including readings from a handheld microwave meter at several positions, Fulton’s condition factor, and relative weight. Results We found significant, positive relationships between lipid content and each estimation method, except relative weight, with weak to moderate correlations. The microwave meter was moderately correlated to lipid content when positioned anterior to the dorsal fin above the lateral line ( r 2 = 0.50), while other positions and combinations of positions had weaker correlations ( r 2 range = 0.27–0.45). Correlation was only slightly improved by including additional model variables (i.e., length and weight). Fulton’s condition factor was weakly correlated with lipid content ( r 2 = 0.19), while relative weight was not significantly correlated with lipid content. Conclusion The microwave meter provides an improvement to muscle lipid estimation compared with length–weight body condition indices; however, microwave meter readings alone do not constitute a reliable predictive measure for true muscle lipid content under the conditions tested here. We hypothesize that the low strength of correlation may be due to low muscle lipid content or the presence of thick scales in Lake Whitefish. Further investigation is needed to understand the mechanisms negatively affecting the predictive performance of the microwave meter in Lake Whitefish and other species.

Michigan↗

USGS2007

Effect of lipid extraction on analyses of stable carbon and stable nitrogen isotopes in coastal organisms of the Aleutian archipelago

We tested whether extracting lipids reduced confounding variation in ??13C and ??15N values by analyzing paired lipid-extracted (LE) and non-lipid-extracted (NLE) samples of bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus (L., 1766)) whole eggs, muscle tissue from nine seabird and one terrestrial bird species, muscle tissue from four marine fish species, and blue mussels (Mytilus edulis L., 1758) collected from the Aleutian archipelago, Alaska. Lipid extraction significantly increased ??13C by an average of 2.0??? in whole eggs, 0.8??? in avian muscle, 0.2??? in fish muscle, and 0.6??? in blue mussels. Lower ??13C values in NLE samples covaried positively with lipid content across all sample types. Lower ??13C values in NLE samples were not correlated with lipid content within bald eagle eggs and blue mussels, but covaried positively with percent lipid in avian and fish muscles. Neither lipid extraction nor percent lipid significantly changed ??15N values for any sample type. Lower ??13C values in most NLE avian and fish muscle tissues should not confound interpretation of pelagic versus nearshore sources of primary production, but lipid extraction may be necessary when highly precise estimates of ??13C are needed. Lipid extraction may not be necessary when only ??15N is of interest. ?? 2007 NRC.

Canadian Journal of Zoology↗

USGS2000

Lipid concentrations in Lake Michigan fishes: Seasonal, spatial, ontogenetic, and long-term trends

Lipid concentrations were measured in seven species of fish from several locations in Lake Michigan during spring, summer, and fall in 1994 to 1995. Adult alewife ( Alosa pseudoharengus ) and age-2 coho salmon ( Oncorhynchus kisutch ) exhibited pronounced seasonal changes in lipid content. Adult alewives averaged 7.4% lipid, on a wet weight basis, during spring (May), 2.6% in summer (July), and 12.2% in fall (late September through October). Spring lipid concentration was low in age-2 coho salmon, averaging only 1.9%, then increased to 7.8% during summer and decreased to 4.5% by fall. In contrast, lipid content in adult bloater ( Coregonus hoyi ) was relatively constant with respect to season, ranging between 10.6% and 12.4% during the year. Lipid concentration increased with fish size for all species except rainbow smelt ( Osmerus mordax ). Although deepwater sculpin ( Myoxocephalus thompsoni ) were considerably larger than slimy sculpin ( Cottus cognatus ) (mean total length of 117 mm vs 68 mm), mean lipid content of deepwater sculpin (7.6%) was only slightly higher than that for slimy sculpin (6.6%). Comparison of lipid concentrations from this study with previous studies indicated that lipid concentration in lake trout ( Salvelinus namaycush ) and alewives in Lake Michigan did not change significantly from 1969–1971 to 1994–1995. Lipid concentration in large (about 250 mm total length) adult bloaters near Saugatuck (along the southeastern shore of the lake) decreased from 23.3% in 1980 to 11.9% in 1986, but showed no significant change between 1986 and 1994–1995.

Journal of Great Lakes Research↗

USGS2008

Thermal stability of ladderane lipids as determined by hydrous pyrolysis

Anaerobic ammonium oxidation (anammox) has been recognized as a major process resulting in loss of fixed inorganic nitrogen in the marine environment. Ladderane lipids, membrane lipids unique to anammox bacteria, have been used as markers for the detection of anammox in marine settings. However, the fate of ladderane lipids after sediment burial and maturation is unknown. In this study, anammox bacterial cell material was artificially matured by hydrous pyrolysis at constant temperatures ranging from 120 to 365 ??C for 72 h to study the stability of ladderane lipids during progressive dia- and catagenesis. HPLC-MS/MS analysis revealed that structural alterations of ladderane lipids already occurred at 120 ??C. At temperatures >140 ??C, ladderane lipids were absent and only more thermally stable products could be detected, i.e., ladderane derivatives in which some of the cyclobutane rings were opened. These diagenetic products of ladderane lipids were still detectable up to temperatures of 260 ??C using GC-MS. Thus, ladderane lipids are unlikely to occur in ancient sediments and sedimentary rocks, but specific diagenetic products of ladderane lipids will likely be present in sediments and sedimentary rocks of relatively low maturity (i.e., C31 hopane 22S/(22S + 22R) ratio <0.2 or ????/(???? + ???? + ????) ratio of >0.5). ?? 2008 Elsevier Ltd.

Organic Geochemistry↗

USGS2026

Effects of a low-lipid diet on the gut microbiome and head kidney transcriptome of juvenile Chinook Salmon

Objective Pacific salmon Oncorhynchus spp. reared in production hatcheries are typically fed high-lipid, energy-dense diets to achieve large size and high body condition prior to release. In contrast, juveniles in natural environments tend to consume low-lipid, high-protein diets, and fish reared for research or conservation purposes are sometimes fed diets that are formulated to mimic natural diets and promote wild-like phenotypes. Understanding how these alternative diets affect fish health beyond growth and body condition could ultimately contribute to improving hatchery fish fitness. Methods In this work, we evaluated changes in the fecal microbiome and gene expression of juvenile Chinook Salmon O. tshawytscha on a standard high-lipid hatchery diet versus a low-lipid diet formulated to mimic the nutrition profile of natural-origin fish. To evaluate the time scale at which diet alters the fecal microbiome, we collected longitudinal samples over a 12-week period and switched the diets of a subset of fish twice during the experiment. We used 16S ribosomal RNA gene amplicon sequencing to characterize fecal microbiome differences between fish on the two diets as well as hatchery-reared fish at a production hatchery, hatchery fish that had been captured after release into a stream, and natural-origin, stream-reared fish of similar ages. Additionally, we conducted RNA sequencing on head kidney samples from laboratory-reared fish to evaluate changes in gene expression in this important immune organ. Results We found that the low-lipid diet and the hatchery diet resulted in microbiomes that differed from the microbiome of natural-origin fish and from each other and that diet-driven changes to the microbiome could occur in under 14 d. The low-lipid diet did not result in a microbiome that resembled the microbiome of naturally produced fish. Instead, the low-lipid diet resulted in a microbiome community that was distinct from those of fish reared on the hatchery diet and fish sampled from the wild. The RNA sequencing results indicated differential enrichment of pathways related to immunity, metabolism, and hormone synthesis between fish that were fed the two experimental diets. Conclusions The results suggest that additional environmental factors influence the microbiome more strongly than diet formulation or that the low-lipid diet has a smaller effect on the microbiome than a natural, invertebrate-based diet. Given that the gut microbiome and systemic immune function contribute significantly to disease resistance, our findings highlight the importance of understanding how diets fed to fish in captivity may affect fish health beyond growth and body condition metrics.

Journal of Aquatic Animal Health↗

USGS1993

Estimation of lipids and lean mass of migrating sandpipers

Estimation of lean mass and lipid levels in birds involves the derivation of predictive equations that relate morphological measurements and, more recently, total body electrical conductivity (TOBEC) indices to known lean and lipid masses. Using cross-validation techniques, we evaluated the ability of several published and new predictive equations to estimate lean and lipid mass of Semipalmated Sandpipers (Calidris pusilla) and White-rumped Sandpipers ( C. fuscicollis ). We also tested ideas of Morton et al. (1991), who stated that current statistical approaches to TOBEC methodology misrepresent precision in estimating body fat. Three published interspecific equations using TOBEC indices predicted lean and lipid masses of our sample of birds with average errors of 8-28% and 53-155%, respectively. A new two-species equation relating lean mass and TOBEC indices revealed average errors of 4.6% and 23.2% in predicting lean and lipid mass, respectively. New intraspecific equations that estimate lipid mass directly from body mass, morphological measurements, and TOBEC indices yielded about a 13% error in lipid estimates. Body mass and morphological measurements explained a substantial portion of the variance (about 90%) in fat mass of both species. Addition of TOBEC indices improved the predictive model more for the smaller than for the larger sandpiper. TOBEC indices explained an additional 7.8% and 2.6% of the variance in fat mass and reduced the minimum breadth of prediction intervals by 0.95 g (32%) and 0.39 g (13%) for Semipalmated and White-rumped Sandpipers, respectively. The breadth of prediction intervals for models used to predict fat levels of individual birds must be considered when interpreting the resultant lipid estimates.

The Condor↗

USGS2016

Thiamine and lipid utilization in fasting Chinook salmon

A laboratory study was conducted to estimate utilization rates of thiamine (vitamin B 1 ) and lipid in whole fish, muscle, and liver tissues of fasting Chinook salmon ( Oncorhynchus tshawytscha ). The experiment was conducted with Chinook salmon held at 5ºC over a period of 150 days to simulate fasting during migration or overwintering. Chinook salmon body length and wet weight did not change ( p > 0.05) over the course of the study; however, significant declines were observed in muscle thiamine ( p < 0.01) and lipid (p < 0.01). There was an inverse relationship between lipid and water content. Under the experimental conditions with no strenuous swimming, thiamine utilization rates reported are conservative estimates and were found to be 5.3–6.8 pmol·g -1 ·day -1 in muscle tissue and ~110 pmol·g -1 ·day -1 in liver tissue over the first 100 days. Fasting lipid depletion rates in whole fish were calculated to be 0.14–0.16%·d -1 . Muscle lipid decline rate (0.13%·day -1 ) over the first 100 days was similar to whole fish lipid loss, however, muscle lipid utilization was slower (0.04%·day -1 ) over the last 50 days. During periods of fasting, Chinook salmon deplete bodily reserves of both thiamine and lipid which may have consequences for successful spawning migration and overwinter survival.

North Pacific Anadromous Fish Commission Bulletin↗

USGS2021

Variability of lipids and fatty acids in Pacific walrus blubber

The variability of lipid content and fatty acid (FA) composition across blubber depth and body sites are important considerations for condition and diet studies of marine mammals. We investigated lipid and FA variability among inner and outer blubber layers, three body sites, four study years, and lactation status of adult female Pacific walruses ( Odobenus rosmarus divergens ) using blubber samples collected from subsistence-harvested walruses in spring 2007–2010. Percent lipid content did not differ between the inner and outer blubber layers at the rump, flank, or sternum of walruses. Although FA composition differed between the inner and outer blubber layers, the difference was consistent across body sites, and differences between layers within individual FAs were small (<2%). Lipid content at the sternum of lactating females was 6% higher than non-lactating females, consistent with known variation in body condition among these reproductive classes. Across study years, lipid content varied 18% and individual FAs varied 6%, likely reflecting population-level interannual variability in energy budgets and small differences in diet among years. Consistency in blubber lipid content across blubber depth and body sites and detectable variation in blubber lipid content among reproductive classes and years suggests the potential for lipid content to be a useful indicator of walrus body condition. In addition to information on condition, FA composition of blubber samples could potentially provide insights into changes in walrus diet that may be expected to occur from changes in their access to prey resources resulting from continued sea ice loss.

Frontiers in Marine Science↗

USGS2013

Relative contribution of lipid sources to eggs of lesser scaup

Studies of how birds mobilize nutrients to eggs have traditionally considered a continuum of possible allocation strategies ranging from income breeding (rely on food sources found on the breeding grounds) to capital breeding (rely on body reserves stored prior to the breeding season). For capital breeding, stored body reserves can be acquired either on or away from the breeding grounds, but it has been difficult to quantify the relative contribution of each, precluding identification of key habitats for acquiring nutrients for clutch formation. During 2006–2009, we explored the importance of spring-staging habitats versus breeding-area habitats for egg-lipid formation in female lesser scaup Aythya affinis using stable carbon (δ 13 C) isotope analyses. Although δ 13 C values for abdominal lipid reserves brought to the breeding grounds overlapped those of local amphipods, we were able to quantify the importance of local plant carbohydrates (seeds of emergent wetland plants) to the production of eggs. We compared the importance of local wetland seeds (overall δ 13 C: −29.1 ± 0.9‰ SD) to combined lipid stores and lipids from local amphipods (overall δ 13 C: −23.8 ± 2.2‰). Local seeds and stored body lipids contributed equally to egg lipid formation across years but we found evidence of annual variation in their relative importance. Wetland seeds contributed 39% (SE = 10%) to egg lipid production, and the importance of this source varied by year (90% CI = 47–75% in 2006, 13–42% in 2007, 29–65% in 2008, and 7–30% in 2009). In contrast to earlier studies that suggest lesser scaup predominantly employ a capital breeding strategy, our results suggest that in some years females may attain half of their energy for clutch formation from foods on the breeding grounds.

Journal of Avian Biology↗

USGS2011

Lipid catabolism of invertebrate predator indicates widespread wetland ecosystem degradation

Animals frequently undergo periods when they accumulate lipid reserves for subsequent energetically expensive activities, such as migration or breeding. During such periods, daily lipid-reserve dynamics (DLD) of sentinel species can quantify how landscape modifications affect function, health, and resilience of ecosystems. Aythya affinis (Eyton 1838; lesser scaup; diving duck) are macroinvertebrate predators; they migrate through an agriculturally dominated landscape in spring where they select wetlands with the greatest food density to refuel and accumulate lipid reserves for subsequent reproduction. We index DLD by measuring plasma-lipid metabolites of female scaup (n = 459) that were refueling at 75 spring migration stopover areas distributed across the upper Midwest, USA. We also indexed DLD for females (n = 44) refueling on a riverine site (Pool 19) south of our upper Midwest study area. We found that mean DLD estimates were significantly (P<0.05) less than zero in all ecophysiographic regions of the upper Midwest, and the greatest negative value was in the Iowa Prairie Pothole region (-31.6). Mean DLD was 16.8 at Pool 19 and was markedly greater than in any region of the upper Midwest. Our results indicate that females catabolized rather than stored lipid reserves throughout the upper Midwest. Moreover, levels of lipid catabolism are alarming, because scaup use the best quality wetlands available within a given stopover area. Accordingly, these results provide evidence of wetland ecosystem degradation across this large agricultural landscape and document affects that are carried-up through several trophic levels. Interestingly, storing of lipids by scaup at Pool 19 likely reflects similar ecosystem perturbations as observed in the upper Midwest because wetland drainage and agricultural runoff nutrifies the riverine habitat that scaup use at Pool 19. Finally, our results underscore how using this novel technique to monitor DLD, of a carefully selected sentinel species, can index ecosystem health at a landscape scale.

PLoS ONE↗

USGS2014

Validation of adipose lipid content as a body condition index for polar bears

Body condition is a key indicator of individual and population health. Yet, there is little consensus as to the most appropriate condition index (CI), and most of the currently used CIs have not been thoroughly validated and are logistically challenging. Adipose samples from large datasets of capture biopsied, remote biopsied, and harvested polar bears were used to validate adipose lipid content as a CI via tests of accuracy, precision, sensitivity, biopsy depth, and storage conditions and comparisons to established CIs, to measures of health and to demographic and ecological parameters. The lipid content analyses of even very small biopsy samples were highly accurate and precise, but results were influenced by tissue depth at which the sample was taken. Lipid content of capture biopsies and samples from harvested adult females was correlated with established CIs and/or conformed to expected biological variation and ecological changes. However, lipid content of remote biopsies was lower than capture biopsies and harvested samples, possibly due to lipid loss during dart retrieval. Lipid content CI is a biologically relevant, relatively inexpensive and rapidly assessed CI and can be determined routinely for individuals and populations in order to infer large-scale spatial and long-term temporal trends. As it is possible to collect samples during routine harvesting or remotely using biopsy darts, monitoring and assessment of body condition can be accomplished without capture and handling procedures or noninvasively, which are methods that are preferred by local communities. However, further work is needed to apply the method to remote biopsies.

Ecology and Evolution↗

USGS1993

Large-scale dialysis of sample lipids

The use of a semipermeable membrane device (SPMD) for dialysis in an organic solvent phase is an efficient alternative approach to separation of contaminants from large amounts of lipid (up to 50 grams or more) prior to organic chemical analysis. Passive separation of contaminants can be accomplished with a minimum of equipment and a comparatively small volume of solvent. This study examines the effects of factors such as dialytic solvent, lipid type, dialytic solvent:lipid volume ratio, dialysis time, and temperature on the performance of polyethylene SPMDs during lipid-contaminant separations. The experimental conditions for maximal recoveries of organochlorine pesticides and polychlorinated biphenyls with minimal lipid carryover are determined for the examined variables. When the dialytic procedure is optimized, very satisfactory and highly reproducible analyte recoveries can be obtained in a few days while separating > 90% of the lipid material in a single operation.

Chemosphere↗