Isotopic correction factors for zooplankton storage

Progress

  • We sampled zooplankton from 11 lakes across Minnesota shown on the map to the right

  • Linear mixed-effects models were used to analyze our data

  • Results from the first 5 lakes indicate carbon enrichment is occurring

  • We are in the processing of preparing our results for publication

Objectives

Stable isotope analysis is a valuable tool for understanding the flow of energy and pollutants and is used for projects in our lab. The methods that are used to store biological samples can affect the amount of isotopes present, especially for zooplankton which represent an important pelagic baseline. This variation can reduce the accuracy of food web models and make it difficult to interpret results.

Our objective for this project was to quantify the isotopic changes in zooplankton samples stored in ethanol and determine a correction factor that can be applied to our data and other food web studies.