Stable isotopes as tracers of organic matter input and transfer in benthic food webs: A review

Some of the ways that the application of stable isotopic tracers have contributed to the extremely hard task of understanding the energy and food web relations in benthic communities are illustrated in this review. Several methods are presented and their relative advantages are discussed, namely the use of endmembers, nitrogen isotopes, carbon isotopes, and sulfur isotopes. Special attention is given to the application of multiple tracers and transects sampling, natural and man-made perturbation experiments, and N-15 additions as N cycle tracers. (C) 1999 Editions scientifiques et medicales Elsevier SAS.