Towards a global, freely available database of stable isotope ratios for deep-sea ecosystems

[from Deep-Sea Life Vol 12]

Towards a global, freely available database of stable isotope ratios for deep-sea ecosystems

Loïc N. Michel

Ifremer

Email: loicnmichel@gmail.com

There is a long tradition of using stable isotopes to study trophic interactions in deep-sea ecosystems. This method has brought many insights over the years. However, the vast majority of past studies are site-specific and, as a result, much is left to discover about factors globally influencing food web structure in deep-sea ecosystems.

To help address this issue, we are setting up a large-scale compilation of stable isotope ratios in deep-sea organisms. The compiled database will soon be freely available online. In doing so, we aim to provide the deep-sea community with an open data-analysis tool that can be used in the context of future ecological research, and to help deep-sea researchers to use stable isotope markers at their full efficiency. Moreover, the database will offer a stable and visible place to store your isotopic data, which will ensure that your hard-earned data points will receive the attention they deserve and continue to do so in the future.

To maximise the scope of the project, we are looking for raw data underlying either published articles or unpublished / grey literature. If you are willing to contribute, or if you have any question about the project, please contact Loïc N. Michel (loicnmichel@gmail.com) or visit https://loicnmichel.wordpress.com/deepseabase/.

This project’s core working group currently includes Loïc N. Michel, Stanislas F. Dubois, Karine Olu, Jozée Sarrazin (Ifremer, FR), Brian Hayden (University of New Brunswick, CA), Gilles Lepoint (University of Liège, BE), and Gauthier Schaal (University of Western Brittany, FR).

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