About the project
Extensive declines in sea ice extent and thickness are occurring within the Arctic and are projected to continue in the future due to amplified polar warming. As a result, community composition and structure are changing within Arctic ecosystems. Animal diets are influenced by accessibility and availability of prey, and therefore, the diets of predators may provide insights into ecological shifts.
My MSc research focused on spatial and temporal variation in stable isotopes of polar bears and ringed seals across the Canadian Beaufort Sea. I assessed whether sectioning guard hairs and claws of polar bears captured in 2007 to 2011 could be used to identify seasonal dietary trends, and evaluated whether variation in stable isotopes of polar bears could predict their space use patterns (i.e. coastal or pelagic) following an examination of home range fidelity. I examined temporal variation of polar bear stable isotopes, diet proportions and niche widths from 2004 to 2012 within the northern and southern Beaufort Sea subpopulations, in relation to sea ice dynamics, climate indices and biological factors. Lastly, I investigated spatial and temporal variation in ringed seal stable isotopes from 1964 to 2011 in relation to age, sex, sea ice dynamics, climate indices, temperature, and spatial distribution of the killed ringed seal in the longest study on ringed seal diet to date.
My MSc research focused on spatial and temporal variation in stable isotopes of polar bears and ringed seals across the Canadian Beaufort Sea. I assessed whether sectioning guard hairs and claws of polar bears captured in 2007 to 2011 could be used to identify seasonal dietary trends, and evaluated whether variation in stable isotopes of polar bears could predict their space use patterns (i.e. coastal or pelagic) following an examination of home range fidelity. I examined temporal variation of polar bear stable isotopes, diet proportions and niche widths from 2004 to 2012 within the northern and southern Beaufort Sea subpopulations, in relation to sea ice dynamics, climate indices and biological factors. Lastly, I investigated spatial and temporal variation in ringed seal stable isotopes from 1964 to 2011 in relation to age, sex, sea ice dynamics, climate indices, temperature, and spatial distribution of the killed ringed seal in the longest study on ringed seal diet to date.
updates
2019
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October: Final paper from MSc submitted to Ecology and Evolution.
September: Second paper from my MSc accepted to Marine Ecology Progress Series! August: Paper published in Polar Biology. July: First paper from my MSc accepted to Polar Biology! |
2018
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December: I presented a poster on my MSc work at ASM 2018.
December: MSc was completed! November: Successfully defended my MSc! October: Submitted my second and third MSc papers to journals. May: Submitted the first paper from my MSc for publication. |
Publications & REPORTS
Boucher, Nicole P., Andrew E. Derocher, and Evan S. Richardson. Long-term spatial and temporal variability in ringed seal (Pusa hispida) stable isotopes in the Beaufort Sea. Submitted November 2019 to Ecology and Evolution.
Boucher, Nicole P., Andrew E. Derocher, and Evan S. Richardson. 2019. Variability in polar bear (Ursus maritimus) stable isotopes in relation to environmental change in the Canadian Beaufort Sea. Marine Ecology Progress Series, pre-press
Boucher, Nicole P., Andrew E. Derocher, and Evan S. Richardson. 2019. Space use patterns affect stable isotopes of polar bears (Ursus maritimus) in the Beaufort Sea. Polar Biology 42: 1581-1593.
Boucher, Nicole P., Andrew E. Derocher, and Evan S. Richardson. 2019. Variability in polar bear (Ursus maritimus) stable isotopes in relation to environmental change in the Canadian Beaufort Sea. Marine Ecology Progress Series, pre-press
Boucher, Nicole P., Andrew E. Derocher, and Evan S. Richardson. 2019. Space use patterns affect stable isotopes of polar bears (Ursus maritimus) in the Beaufort Sea. Polar Biology 42: 1581-1593.
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