Keywords
stable isotopes, diet-tissue discrimination, turnover, manatee, Trichechus manatus, feeding ecology
Abstract
The West Indian manatee (Trichechus manatus) is an herbivorous marine mammal that occupies freshwater, estuarine, and marine habitats. Despite being considered endangered, relatively little is known about the feeding ecology of either of the two recognized subspecies, the Florida manatee (T.m. latirostris) and Caribbean or Antillean manatee (T.m. manatus). A better understanding of their respective feeding preferences and habitat use is essential to establish criteria on which conservation plans can be based. The present study expands on previous work on manatee feeding ecology by both assessing the application of stable isotope analysis to manatee tissue and providing critical baseline parameters for accurate isotopic data interpretation. The present study was the first to calculate stable isotope turnover rate in the skin of any marine mammal. Stable carbon and nitrogen isotope ratios were examined over a period of more than one year in the epidermis of rescued Florida manatees that were transitioning from a diet of aquatic forage to terrestrial forage (lettuce) in captivity. Mean half-life for 13C turnover in manatee epidermis was 55 days and mean half-life for 15N turnover was 42 days. Due to these slow turnover rates, carbon and nitrogen stable isotope analysis in manatee epidermis is useful in summarizing average dietary intake over a long period of time rather than assessing recent diet. In addition to turnover rate, a diet-tissue discrimination value of 2.8‰ for 13C was calculated for long-term captive manatees on a lettuce diet. Turnover and diet-tissue discrimination results were subsequently used to interpret carbon and nitrogen stable isotope data in epidermis samples collected from free-ranging manatees in Florida, Belize, and Puerto Rico. This study was the first application of stable isotope analysis to Antillean manatees. Regional differences in stable isotope ratios in manatee skin were consistent with ratios in plant samples collected in those regions. Signatures in the skin of manatees sampled in Belize and Puerto Rico indicated a diet composed mainly of seagrasses, whereas those of Florida manatees exhibited greater variation. Mixing model results indicated manatees sampled from Crystal River and Homosassa Springs had an overall average intake of primarily freshwater vegetation whereas manatees sampled from Big Bend Power Plant, Ten Thousand Islands, and Warm Mineral Springs fed primarily on seagrasses. Possible diet tissue discrimination values for 15N ranged from 1.0 to 1.5‰. Stable isotope analysis can be successfully applied to interpret manatee feeding behavior over a long period of time, specifically the use of freshwater vegetation vs. seagrasses, and can aid in improving conservation efforts.
Notes
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Graduation Date
2007
Semester
Summer
Advisor
Worthy, Graham
Degree
Master of Science (M.S.)
College
College of Sciences
Department
Biology
Degree Program
Biology
Format
application/pdf
Identifier
CFE0001599
URL
http://purl.fcla.edu/fcla/etd/CFE0001599
Language
English
Release Date
April 2008
Length of Campus-only Access
None
Access Status
Masters Thesis (Open Access)
STARS Citation
Alves, Christy, "Stabel Isotope Turnover Rates And Diet-tissue Discrimination In The Skin Of West Indian Manatees: Implcations For Evaluating Their Feeding Ecology And Habitat Use" (2007). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 3061.
https://stars.library.ucf.edu/etd/3061