This study addresses the temporal variability of couplings between pelagic and benthic habitats for fish assemblages at five periods in a shallow epicontinental sea, the Eastern English Channel (EEC). Organic matter fluxes fueling fish assemblages and the relative contribution of their different sources were assessed using stable isotope analysis and associated isotopic functional metrics. Couplings between benthic and pelagic realms appeared to be a permanent feature in the EEC, potentially favored by shallow depth and driven by the combination of two trophic processes. First, trophic interactions exhibited plasticity and revealed resource partitioning. Second, changes in the composition of fish assemblages did not impact benthic-pelagic couplings, as most dominant species were generalists during at least one time period, allowing complete use of available resources. Examining both unweighted and biomass-weighted indices was complementary and permitted a better understanding of trophic interactions and energy fluxes.

这项研究解决了在浅表陆海东部英吉利海峡 (EEC) 中五个时期鱼类组合的远洋和底栖栖息地之间耦合的时间变化。使用稳定同位素分析和相关同位素功能指标评估了为鱼类组合提供燃料的有机物质通量及其不同来源的相对贡献。底栖和远洋领域之间的耦合似乎是 EEC 的一个永久特征，可能受到浅层深度的青睐，并受两种营养过程的结合驱动。首先，营养相互作用表现出可塑性并揭示资源分配。其次，鱼类组合组成的变化不会影响底栖-远洋耦合，因为大多数优势物种至少在一个时期内是通才，允许充分利用可用资源。检查未加权和生物量加权指数是互补的，可以更好地了解营养相互作用和能量通量。