A multi-biomarker approach supports the use of compound-specific stable isotope analysis of amino acids to quantify basal carbon source use in a salt marsh consumer.

These findings support the use of CSIA-AA as an emerging tool to quantify the relative importance of basal carbon sources in salt marsh consumers. Integrating multiple biomarker techniques, with their differing benefits and limitations, will help to constrain models of carbon and energy flow in future ecosystem studies.