Climate change is already having a significant impact on the ecology of the northern part of the planet. By reconstructing their diet using the lipids in their blubber, a team of researchers has discovered new clues to understand how killer whales impact their environment.
The analysis will help us understand how their diet changes and how they may disrupt the food web in the north.
The researchers used samples from captive killer whales to model the diet of the whales. They measured the acid composition of the killer whales and their prey. They used the modeling approach to estimate that the whales mainly feed on harp and hooded seals.
The tool has the potential to improve understanding of killer whales' diet around the world and how they might impact the food web in the future.
TheValidation of quantitative fatty acid signature analysis for estimating the diet composition 2 of free-ranging killer whales was published in Scientific Reports.
More information: Anaïs Remili et al, Validation of quantitative fatty acid signature analysis for estimating the diet composition of free-ranging killer whales, Scientific Reports (2022). DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-11660-4 Journal information: Scientific Reports Citation: Unlocking the secrets of killer whale diets and their role in climate change (2022, May 19) retrieved 19 May 2022 from https://phys.org/news/2022-05-secrets-killer-whale-diets-role.html This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only.