Composition of cetacean communities worldwide shapes their contribution to ocean nutrient cycling
Résumé
Defecation by large whales is known to fertilise oceans with nutrients, stimulating phytoplankton and ecosystem productivity. However, our current understanding of these processes is limited to a few species, nutrients and ecosystems. Here, we investigate the role of cetacean communities in the worldwide biological cycling of two major nutrients and six trace nutrients. We show that cetaceans release more nutrients in mesotrophic to eutrophic temperate waters than in oligotrophic tropical waters, mirroring patterns of ecosystem productivity. The released nutrient cocktails also vary geographically, driven by the composition of cetacean communities. The roles of small cetaceans, deep diving cetaceans and baleen whales differ quantitatively and functionally, with contributions of small cetaceans and deep divers exceeding those of large whales in some areas. The functional diversity of cetacean communities expands beyond their role as top predators to include their role as active nutrient vectors, which might be equally important to local ecosystem dynamics.
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Cite 10.1594/PANGAEA.937345 Article Chouvelon, T., Munschy, C., Bruzac, S., Caurant, F., Churlaud, C., Crochet, S., Guillou, G., Mauffret, A., Méndez-Fernandez, P., Niol, J., Sireau, T., Steinberg, C., Wessel, N., & Spitz, J. (2021). Stable isotopes, energy density and elemental composition of deep pelagic crustaceans and fish sampled in October 2017 in the Bay of Biscay, North-East Atlantic. PANGAEA. https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.937345
input data
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Cite 10.1594/PANGAEA.940861 Jeu de données Chouvelon, T., Gilbert, L., Caurant, F., Méndez-Fernandez, P., Bustamante, P., Brault-Favrou, M., & Spitz, J. (2022). Essential element (micro-nutrient) concentrations in 78 coastal to oceanic forage species sampled in the Bay of Biscay, Northeast Atlantic, between 2002 and 2008 [Dataset]. PANGAEA. https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.940861
input data
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Cite hal-05119411 Logiciel Lola Gilbert. R project code - Cetacean.excretion.global. 2023, ⟨swh:1:dir:2d15a5610b51d4e2922682e37140271ef45f1065;origin=https://github.com/Lola-san/Cetacean.excretion.global;visit=swh:1:snp:d7ce27940e3827fc5d6d11dfd0b6c7093bc7ab05;anchor=swh:1:rev:060789ffaa226fdd40007fb918e5d3fe5cbaa1f9⟩. ⟨hal-05119411⟩
Code used for the analysis