Individual niche trajectories in nesting green turtles on Rocas Atoll, Brazil: an isotopic tool to assess diet shifts over time
Keywords:
Chelonia mydas, adult females, stable isotopes, trophic ecology, Atlantic OceanAbstract
Abstract In this study, multi-tissue (yolk and carapace) stable isotope analysis was used to assess individual isotopic niche trajectories of nesting green turtles on Rocas Atoll, off northeastern Brazil, and to reveal a diet shift in the temporal dimension. The diet trajectories of individual green turtles were highly directional, with a stronger component towards decreasing values of δ15N from carapace to yolk. When the green turtles are in their foraging sites (temporal window measured by the yolk samples), they are more herbivores. Conversely, in a broader temporal window, the green turtles demonstrate a carnivore-omnivore strategy, such as represented by heavier δ15N values in the carapace. This finding confirms a temporal diet shift. This is the first study that applies trophic niche trajectories for sea turtles, adding a new isotopic tool to understand the trophic ecology of these migrant animals.Published
2021-01-01
How to Cite
Agostinho, K. F. F., Monteiro, L. R., & Beneditto, A. P. M. D. (2021). Individual niche trajectories in nesting green turtles on Rocas Atoll, Brazil: an isotopic tool to assess diet shifts over time. Biota Neotropica, 21(1). Retrieved from https://www.biotaneotropica.org.br/BN/article/view/1779
Issue
Section
Short Communications