Trophic plasticity of a tropical seabird revealed through DNA metabarcoding and stable isotope analyses
Loading...
Date
Authors
Marcuk, Vladislav
Piña-Ortiz, Alberto
Castillo-Guerrero, José Alfredo
Masello, Juan F.
Bustamante, Paco
Griep, Sven
Quillfeldt, Petra
Advisors/Reviewers
Further Contributors
Contributing Institutions
Publisher
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Quotable link
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.22029/jlupub-20336Abstract
DNA metabarcoding and stable isotope analysis have significantly advanced our understanding of marine trophic ecology, aiding systematic research on foraging habits and species conservation. In this study, we employed these methods to analyse faecal and blood samples, respectively, to compare the trophic ecology of two Red-billed Tropicbird (Phaethon aethereus; Linnaeus, 1758) colonies on Mexican islands in the Pacific. Trophic patterns among different breeding stages were also examined at both colonies. Dietary analysis reveals a preference for epipelagic fish, cephalopods, and small crustaceans, with variations between colonies and breeding stages. Isotopic values (δ15N and δ13C) align with DNA metabarcoding results, with wider niches during incubation stages. Differences in diet are linked to environmental conditions and trophic plasticity among breeding stages, influenced by changing physiological requirements and prey availability. Variations in dietary profiles reflect contrasting environmental conditions affecting local prey availability.Link to publications or other datasets
Description
Notes
Original publication in
Marine environmental research 199 (2024), 106627