Stable Isotope Ratios of Tidal Freshwater Fish and Invertebrates in Miramichi River

Fisheries and Oceans Canada collected carbon, nitrogen, and sulphur stable isotope ratios from fish and invertebrate communities in the Northwest Miramichi River system. The dataset characterizes food webs using powdered animal tissue samples. Sampling employed various nets and kicknet methods to capture species for isotopic signature analysis.

Use Cases

• Analyze carbon, nitrogen, and sulphur isotope ratios to model food web trophic levels within the Miramichi River system.
• Compare species isotopic signatures across different sampling locations to assess spatial variation in ecological niches.
• Investigate relationships between species gut contents data and their stable isotope profiles to infer dietary sources.

Strengths

• Data includes three distinct stable isotope measurements (carbon, nitrogen, sulphur) per sample for multi-element trophic analysis.
• Sampling methodology is documented, specifying net types and mesh sizes used for fish capture and kicknet intervals for invertebrates.
• Dataset is provided by the authoritative government agency Fisheries and Oceans Canada.

Limitations

• The total number of samples (rows) and measured parameters (columns) are unknown, limiting assessment of statistical power.
• Data use requires contacting the data custodian, which may delay or restrict access for analysis.
• Sample data and file structure are unavailable, making it difficult to assess data format and completeness prior to download.

Provenance

Source

Fisheries and Oceans Canada

Collection Method

Fish captured using fyke nets, beach seines, and trap nets; invertebrates sampled via kicknet at 1-4 meters from shore. Tissue samples were powdered for analysis.

Time Range

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Freshness

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Geography

Northwest Miramichi River system and Miramichi Estuary