Stable isotope analysis of food sources sustaining the subtidal food web of the Yellow River Estuary

•Stable isotope models can indicate the primary pathways of materials and energy supply for the estuarine community.•Estuarine consumers showed a low reliance on food sources originating from the Yellow River.•The diets of consumers in estuary were conforming to a marine based pattern.•Stable isotope analysis of food sources can provide data to inform the conservation of coastal ecosystems.