Trace element and stable isotope analysis of fourteen species of marine invertebrates from the Bay of Fundy, Canada

• Baseline data on trace element concentrations in invertebrates from the Bay of Fundy is provided.
• Overall, trace element exposure was relatively low among the species studied.
• Barnacles (Balanus balanus) may be suitable bioindicators in the Bay of Fundy.
• Little evidence of trace element bioaccumulation or biodilution exists among the species studied.
• The species studied likely occupy similar trophic levels in different food chains.

The Bay of Fundy, Canada, is a macrotidal bay with a highly productive intertidal zone, hosting a large abundance and diversity of marine invertebrates. We analysed trace element concentrations and stable isotopic values of δ15N and δ13C in 14 species of benthic marine invertebrates from the Bay of Fundy's intertidal zone to investigate bioaccumulation or biodilution of trace elements in the lower level of this marine food web. Barnacles (Balanus balanus) consistently had significantly greater concentrations of trace elements compared to the other species studied, but otherwise we found low concentrations of non-essential trace elements. In the range of trophic levels that we studied, we found limited evidence of bioaccumulation or biodilution of trace elements across species, likely due to the species examined occupying similar trophic levels in different food chains.