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WHAT I'VE LEARNED SO FAR
I use stable isotopes to understand the feeding behavior of benthic macroinvertebrates in the Arctic. Explore this page to find what I've learned
MOTIVATION
Warming Arctic
The Arctic is warming at a faster rate than the rest of the world due to polar amplification.
DIFFERENCES BETWEEN STUDY SITES
In the northern Bering Sea, nutrient recycling and denitrification lead to heavier nitrogen in the sediments, organic matter, and organisms compared to the southern Bering Sea.
The fresher organic matter in the southern Chukchi Sea supports more suspension feeders than the Northern Bering Sea
DIFFERENCES BETWEEN STUDY SITES
In the northern Bering Sea, nutrient recycling and denitrification lead to heavier nitrogen in the sediments, organic matter, and organisms compared to the southern Bering Sea.
The fresher organic matter in the southern Chukchi Sea supports more suspension feeders than the Northern Bering Sea
![SciWritingFeedingType [Converted].png](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/54c22a_c648d5583a704236a955e978d02f382c~mv2.png/v1/fill/w_73,h_95,al_c,q_85,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,blur_2,enc_auto/SciWritingFeedingType%20%5BConverted%5D.png)
INSIGHTS INTO THE ORGANISMS
Macoma sp. is one of the most abundant bivalves in the region. Macomas are generalist that can both suspension and deposit feed. We used to think that it switched feeding types opportunistically, but I found that it switched based on size.
For a broader look into Macoma sp., check out this poster!
In the two study sites, there have been many changes to the types and numbers of benthic macroinvertebrates. I looked into their feeding types using stable isotopes. See what I found in this video
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