Variability of Lipids and Fatty Acids in Pacific Walrus Blubber

Chadwick V. Jay, Sara J. Iverson, Anthony S. Fischbach

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Resumen

The variability of lipid content and fatty acid (FA) composition across blubber depth and body sites are important considerations for condition and diet studies of marine mammals. We investigated lipid and FA variability among inner and outer blubber layers, three body sites, four study years, and lactation status of adult female Pacific walruses (Odobenus rosmarus divergens) using blubber samples collected from subsistence-harvested walruses in spring 2007–2010. Percent lipid content did not differ between the inner and outer blubber layers at the rump, flank, or sternum of walruses. Although FA composition differed between the inner and outer blubber layers, the difference was consistent across body sites, and differences between layers within individual FAs were small (<2%). Lipid content at the sternum of lactating females was 6% higher than non-lactating females, consistent with known variation in body condition among these reproductive classes. Across study years, lipid content varied 18% and individual FAs varied 6%, likely reflecting population-level interannual variability in energy budgets and small differences in diet among years. Consistency in blubber lipid content across blubber depth and body sites and detectable variation in blubber lipid content among reproductive classes and years suggests the potential for lipid content to be a useful indicator of walrus body condition. In addition to information on condition, FA composition of blubber samples could potentially provide insights into changes in walrus diet that may be expected to occur from changes in their access to prey resources resulting from continued sea ice loss.

Idioma originalEnglish
Número de artículo603065
PublicaciónFrontiers in Marine Science
Volumen8
DOI
EstadoPublished - ene. 27 2021

Nota bibliográfica

Funding Information:
This research was funded by the U.S. Geological Survey’s Changing Arctic Ecosystems initiative and the Wildlife Program of the Ecosystem Mission Area, as well as equipment grants (SI) from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) of Canada. Additional funding for lab analyses was provided by the North Pacific Research Board (NPRB project #B67).

Publisher Copyright:
© Copyright © 2021 Jay, Iverson and Fischbach.

ASJC Scopus Subject Areas

  • Oceanography
  • Global and Planetary Change
  • Aquatic Science
  • Water Science and Technology
  • Environmental Science (miscellaneous)
  • Ocean Engineering

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