Introduction to getting started with fatty acids for use in trophic ecology and FAQs

This is a 'living document' which attempts to provide some introduction to the use of fatty acids in aquatic sciences.

Aaron Galloway wrote the initial draft and invited Mike Brett (a previous advisor and current collaborator) to add his perspectives. We both get a fair amount of email communication from people asking questions about getting started with fatty acids in their research. We enjoy such communications; we also see that there is a need for a general ‘nuts and bolts’ intro for ecologists who are getting started with fatty acids, written (hopefully) without all of the intimidating jargon which one finds in the scientific papers.

This document addresses many of the initial questions that people ask when they contact us. We'll update it as new questions come in or revelations are made. Please provide feedback!