Paleoecological implications of the nitrogen isotope signatures in the sediments amended by Antarctic seal excrements

Abstract

Abstract The nitrogen isotope signatures in the sediments amended by seal excrements, from Fildes Peninsula of King George Islands, Antarctica, were examined for their paleoecological application potential. The contents of total organic carbon (TOC) and total nitrogen (TN) and the atomic C/N ratios in the sediments show that the organic carbon and nitrogen are predominantly of marine origin and derived from seal excrements. The remarkably high δ15N values in the sediments may be related to at least two important factors of trophic enrichment and NH3 volatilization, which requires further studies. The large variations in the seal hair abundances and the determined δ15N values in the sediments signify similar changes of the historical seal populations around the study site. A significant negative correlation between the δ15N values and seal hair abundance was observed, and this suggests that the δ15N values, like the number of seal hairs, can be used as a paleoecological proxy for the historical seal popula...