Flood facilitates cross-ecosystem trophic subsidies to marine animals

17.7 KB of isotopic data tracks a rare 1-in-66-year flood's impact on river-marine trophic subsidies in the Southern Indian Ocean. The dataset, created by Paul McInerney and last updated in May 2026, contains isotopic signatures (δ¹⁵N, δ¹³C, δ³⁴S) showing terrestrial nutrient enrichment in coastal marine animals. It demonstrates how major floods temporarily restore vital ecological linkages.

Use Cases

• Modeling trophic subsidy dynamics based on isotopic signatures of δ¹⁵N, δ¹³C, and δ³⁴S
• Assessing terrestrial nutrient integration in marine food webs based on data from a rare flood event
• Comparing nutrient uptake rates between mid-level consumers (e.g., mullet) and top predators (e.g., snapper)
• Evaluating the temporal mismatch in nutrient integration for different marine animal groups

Strengths

• Focuses on a rare 1-in-66-year flood event, providing unique ecological data.
• Analyzes three distinct isotopic signatures (δ¹⁵N, δ¹³C, δ³⁴S) for tracing nutrient sources.
• Explicitly compares different consumer levels (mid-level consumers vs. top predators).

Limitations

• Dataset is very small at 17.7 KB, indicating limited scope.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.

Provenance

Source

Paul McInerney via figshare.

Collection Method

Isotopic analysis (δ¹⁵N, δ¹³C, δ³⁴S) of marine animal samples collected within and outside a major river flood plume.

Time Range

Likely centered around the studied flood event; specific years not provided.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-05-28 05:29:39; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Southern Indian Ocean, specifically coastal areas impacted by the studied river plume.