Data and Code from: Bidirectional energy subsidies for fish in river mouths of a large lake as revealed by stable isotopes and fatty acids

<p>Data and Code for: Eglite, E., Stein, S.R., Turschak, B.A., Bowen, G.J. and Höök, T.O. (2024), Bidirectional energy subsidies for fish in river mouths of a large lake as revealed by stable isotopes and fatty acids. Limnol Oceanogr. <a aria-label="Digital Object Identifier" href="https://doi.org/10.1002/lno.12500">https://doi.org/10.1002/lno.12500</a></p>

<p>Description<strong>:</strong>  River mouths may be important for supporting nearshore fish production, especially in large lakes; however, these freshwater ecotones are generally understudied. We evaluated cross-habitat subsidization of three fish species, including round goby (<em>Neogobius malanostomus</em>), yellow perch (<em>Perca flavescens</em>), and alewife (<em>Alosa psuedoharengus</em>) in among three southern Lake Michigan river mouths. We used multiple tracers stable isotopes (δ<sup>13</sup>C, δ<sup>15</sup>N, δ<sup>2</sup>H, δ<sup>18</sup>O) and essential fatty acids (alpha-linoleic acid (ALA), arachidonic acid (ARA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)). We calculated resource ellipses and Bayesian mixing models based on δ<sup>13</sup>C-δ<sup>15</sup>N and developed novel three-isotope models including δ<sup>2</sup>H. In so doing, we identified bidirectional energy subsidies (including evidence of lake backflow into tributaries) for all fish species and across all river mouths; although the extent of subsidization varied by species and river mouth system.</p>