title: High congruence of isotope sewage signals in multiple marine taxa.
abstract: Assessments of sewage pollution routinely employ stable nitrogen isotope analysis (δ(15)N) in biota, but multiple taxa are rarely used. This single species focus leads to underreporting of whether derived spatial N patterns are consistent. Here we test the question of 'reproducibility', incorporating 'taxonomic replication' in the measurement of δ(15)N gradients in algae, seagrasses, crabs and fish with distance from a sewage outfall on the Adelaide coast (southern Australia). Isotopic sewage signals were equally strong in all taxa and declined at the same rate. This congruence amongst taxa has not been reported previously. It implies that sewage-N propagates to fish via a tight spatial coupling between production and consumption processes, resulting from limited animal movement that closely preserves the spatial pollution imprint. In situations such as this where consumers mirror pollution signals of primary producers, analyses of higher trophic levels will capture a broader ambit of ecological effects.
authors.affiliation: Australian Rivers Institute - Coast and Estuaries, and School of Environment, Griffith University, Gold Coast Campus, QLD 4222, Australia. r.connolly@griffith.edu.au
authors.forename: Rod M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Connolly
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Gorman
authors.forename: Jeremy S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Hindell
authors.forename: Timothy N
authors.initials: TN
authors.lastname: Kildea
authors.forename: Thomas A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Schlacher
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D059001:Aquatic Organisms / Q000378:metabolism; D002247:Carbon Isotopes / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D007448:Invertebrates / Q000378:metabolism; D009587:Nitrogen Isotopes / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D012722:Sewage / Q000032:analysis* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D013021:South Australia; D014873:Water Pollutants / Q000032:analysis* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D002247:Carbon Isotopes; D009587:Nitrogen Isotopes; D012722:Sewage; D014873:Water Pollutants