Carbon and nitrogen content and stable isotope compositions from biota samples from lagoon sites along the Alaska Beaufort Sea coast, 2018-ongoing

Stable isotopic composition can be used to differentiate between predominantly marine and terrestrial food sources in nearshore marine food webs. The Beaufort Lagoon Ecosystems LTER (BLE LTER) Core Program employs spatial and temporal sampling regimes to track shifts in diet, both seasonally (ice cover, ice break-up, and open water), and spatially among lagoons along the Alaskan Beaufort Sea coast. Ice coring, net tows, ponar grabs, and trawls are employed to collect organisms associated with the sea-ice interface, the water column, and the benthos respectively. Tissues are analyzed for stable isotopic composition as well as organic carbon and nitrogen content.