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Mphephu MM, Olaokun OO, Mavimbela C, Hofmeyer G, Mwale M, Mkolo NM. Metabolomics approach for predicting stomach and colon contents in dead Arctocephalus pusillus pusillus, Arctocephalus tropicalis, Lobodon carcinophaga and Ommatophoca rossii from sub-Antarctic region. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0300319. [PMID: 38557648 PMCID: PMC10984408 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0300319] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2023] [Accepted: 02/27/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024] Open
Abstract
The dietary habits of seals play a pivotal role in shaping management and administration policies, especially in regions with potential interactions with fisheries. Previous studies have utilized various methods, including traditional approaches, to predict seal diets by retrieving indigestible prey parts, such as calcified structures, from intestines, feces, and stomach contents. Additionally, methods evaluating nitrogen and stable isotopes of carbon have been employed. The metabolomics approach, capable of quantifying small-scale molecules in biofluids, holds promise for specifying dietary exposures and estimating disease risk. This study aimed to assess the diet composition of five seal species-Arctocephalus pusillus pusillus, Lobodon carcinophaga, Ommatophoca rossii, and Arctocephalus tropicalis 1 and 2-by analyzing stomach and colon contents collected from stranded dead seals at various locations. Metabolite concentrations in the seal stomach and colon contents were determined using Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy. Among the colon and stomach contents, 29 known and 8 unknown metabolites were identified. Four metabolites (alanine, fumarate, lactate, and proline) from stomach contents and one metabolite (alanine) from colon contents showed no significant differences between seal species (p>0.05). This suggests that traces of these metabolites in the stomach and colon contents may be produced by the seals' gut microbiome or derived from other animals, possibly indicating reliance on fish caught at sea. Despite this insight, the cause of death for stranded seals remains unclear. The study highlights the need for specific and reliable biomarkers to precisely indicate dietary exposures across seal populations. Additionally, there is a call for the development of relevant metabolite and disease interaction networks to explore disease-related metabolites in seals. Ultimately, the metabolomic method employed in this study reveals potential metabolites in the stomach and colon contents of these seal species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mukhethwa Micheal Mphephu
- Department of Biology, School of Science and Technology, Sefako Makgatho Health Science University, Ga-Rankuwa, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Oyinlola Oluwunmi Olaokun
- Department of Biology, School of Science and Technology, Sefako Makgatho Health Science University, Ga-Rankuwa, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Caswell Mavimbela
- Department of Biology, School of Science and Technology, Sefako Makgatho Health Science University, Ga-Rankuwa, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Greg Hofmeyer
- Port Elizabeth Museum at Bayworld, Humewood, Port Elizabeth, South Africa
| | - Monica Mwale
- South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI), National Zoological Garden, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Nqobile Monate Mkolo
- Department of Biology, School of Science and Technology, Sefako Makgatho Health Science University, Ga-Rankuwa, Pretoria, South Africa
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Mauritsson K, Desforges JP, Harding KC. Maternal Transfer and Long-Term Population Effects of PCBs in Baltic Grey Seals Using a New Toxicokinetic-Toxicodynamic Population Model. ARCHIVES OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONTAMINATION AND TOXICOLOGY 2022; 83:376-394. [PMID: 36242644 PMCID: PMC9637078 DOI: 10.1007/s00244-022-00962-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2022] [Accepted: 10/03/2022] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
Empirical evidence has shown that historical exposure of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) to Baltic grey seals not only severely affected individual fitness, but also population growth rates and most likely caused the retarded recovery rate of the depleted population for decades. We constructed a new model which we term a toxicokinetic-toxicodynamic (TKTD) population model to quantify these effects. The toxicokinetic sub-model describes in detail the bioaccumulation, elimination and vertical transfer from mother to offspring of PCBs and is linked to a toxicodynamic model for estimation of PCB-related damage, hazard and stress impacts on fertility and survival rates. Both sub-models were linked to a Leslie matrix population model to calculate changes in population growth rate and age structure, given different rates of PCB exposure. Toxicodynamic model parameters related to reproductive organ lesions were calibrated using published historical data on observed pregnancy rates in Baltic grey seal females. Compared to empirical data, the TKTD population model described well the age-specific bioaccumulation pattern of PCBs in Baltic grey seals, and thus, the toxicokinetic parameters, deduced from the literature, are believed to be reliable. The model also captured well the general effects of PCBs on historical population growth rates. The model showed that reduced fertility due to increased PCB exposure causes decreased vertical transfer from mother to offspring and in turn increased biomagnification in non-breeding females. The developed TKTD model can be used to perform population viability analyses of Baltic grey seals with multiple stressors, also including by-catches and different hunting regimes. The model can also be extended to other marine mammals and other contaminants by adjustments of model parameters and thus provides a test bed in silico for new substances.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karl Mauritsson
- Division of Biology and Bioinformatics, University of Skövde, Skövde, Sweden.
| | - Jean-Pierre Desforges
- Department of Environmental Studies and Sciences, University of Winnipeg, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
| | - Karin C Harding
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
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3
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Boyi JO, Heße E, Rohner S, Säurich J, Siebert U, Gilles A, Lehnert K. Deciphering Eurasian otter (
Lutra lutra
L.) and seal (
Phoca vitulina
L.;
Halichoerus grypus
F.) diet: metabarcoding tailored for fresh and saltwater fish species. Mol Ecol 2022; 31:5089-5106. [DOI: 10.1111/mec.16635] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2021] [Revised: 07/13/2022] [Accepted: 07/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Joy Ometere Boyi
- Institute for Terrestrial and Aquatic Wildlife Research, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Foundation Büsum Germany
| | - Eileen Heße
- Institute for Terrestrial and Aquatic Wildlife Research, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Foundation Büsum Germany
| | - Simon Rohner
- Institute for Terrestrial and Aquatic Wildlife Research, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Foundation Büsum Germany
| | - Josefin Säurich
- Institute for Animal Breeding and Genetics, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Foundation Hannover Germany
| | - Ursula Siebert
- Institute for Terrestrial and Aquatic Wildlife Research, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Foundation Büsum Germany
| | - Anita Gilles
- Institute for Terrestrial and Aquatic Wildlife Research, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Foundation Büsum Germany
| | - Kristina Lehnert
- Institute for Terrestrial and Aquatic Wildlife Research, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Foundation Büsum Germany
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Tambets M, Kärgenberg E, Järvalt A, Økland F, Kristensen ML, Koed A, Bernotas P. Migrating silver eels return from the sea to the river of origin after a false start. Biol Lett 2021; 17:20210346. [PMID: 34493065 PMCID: PMC8424351 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2021.0346] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2021] [Accepted: 08/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The European eel's singular spawning migration from European waters towards the Sargasso Sea remains elusive, including the early phase of migration at sea. During spawning migration, the movement of freshwater resident eels from river to sea has been thought to be irreversible. We report the first recorded incidents of eels returning to the river of origin after spending up to a year in the marine environment. After migrating to the Baltic Sea, 21% of the silver eels, tagged with acoustic transmitters, returned to the Narva River. Half returned 11-12 months after moving to the sea, with 15 km being the longest upstream movement. The returned eels spent up to 33 days in the river and migrated to the sea again. The fastest specimen migrated to the outlet of the Baltic Sea in 68 days after the second start-roughly 1300 km. The surprising occurrence of returning migrants has implications for sustainable management and protection of this critically endangered species.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Einar Kärgenberg
- Wildlife Estonia, Veski 4, Tartu 51005, Estonia
- Estonian Marine Institute, University of Tartu, Vanemuise 46, Tartu 51014, Estonia
| | - Ain Järvalt
- Chair of Hydrobiology and Fishery, Institute of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Estonian University of Life Sciences, Kreutzwaldi 5, Tartu 51006, Estonia
| | - Finn Økland
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research NINA, PO Box 5685, Trondheim No-7485, Norway
| | - Martin Lykke Kristensen
- Technical University of Denmark, National Institute for Aquatic Resources, Silkeborg 8600, Denmark
| | - Anders Koed
- Technical University of Denmark, National Institute for Aquatic Resources, Silkeborg 8600, Denmark
| | - Priit Bernotas
- Estonian Marine Institute, University of Tartu, Vanemuise 46, Tartu 51014, Estonia
- Chair of Hydrobiology and Fishery, Institute of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Estonian University of Life Sciences, Kreutzwaldi 5, Tartu 51006, Estonia
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Oller L, Bennett KA, McKnight JC, Moss SE, Milne R, Hall AJ, Rocha J. Partial pressure of oxygen in adipose tissue and its relationship with fatness in a natural animal model of extreme fat deposition, the grey seal. Physiol Rep 2021; 9:e14972. [PMID: 34409768 PMCID: PMC8374385 DOI: 10.14814/phy2.14972] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2021] [Accepted: 06/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Excessive adiposity is associated with altered oxygen tension and comorbidities in humans. In contrast, marine mammals have high adiposity with no apparent detrimental effects. However, partial pressure of oxygen (Po2 ) in their subcutaneous adipose tissue (blubber) and its relationship with fatness have not been reported. We measured Po2 and temperature at different blubber depths in 12 healthy juvenile grey seals. Fatness was estimated from blubber thickness and morphometric parameters. Simultaneously, we monitored breathing pattern; heart rate and arterial blood saturation with a pulse oximeter; and relative changes in total hemoglobin, deoxyhemoglobin, and oxyhemoglobin in blubber capillaries using near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) as proxies for local oxygenation changes. Blubber Po2 ranged from 14.5 to 71.4 mmHg (39.2 ± 14.1 mmHg), which is similar to values reported in other species. Blubber Po2 was strongly and negatively associated with fatness (LME: p < 0.0001, R2marginal = 0.53, R2conditional = 0.64, n = 10), but not with blubber depth. No other parameters explained variability in Po2 , suggesting arterial blood and local oxygen delivery did not vary within and between measurements. The fall in blubber Po2 with increased fatness in seals is consistent with other animal models of rapid fat deposition. However, the Po2 levels at which blubber becomes hypoxic and consequences of low blubber Po2 for its health and function, particularly in very fat individuals, remain unknown. How seals avoid detrimental effects of low oxygen tension in adipose tissue, despite their high and fluctuating adiposity, is a fruitful avenue to explore.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Oller
- Division of Health SciencesSchool of Applied SciencesAbertay UniversityDundeeUK
| | | | - J. Chris McKnight
- Sea Mammal Research UnitScottish Oceans InstituteUniversity of St AndrewsSt AndrewsUK
| | - Simon E.W. Moss
- Sea Mammal Research UnitScottish Oceans InstituteUniversity of St AndrewsSt AndrewsUK
| | - Ryan Milne
- Sea Mammal Research UnitScottish Oceans InstituteUniversity of St AndrewsSt AndrewsUK
| | - Ailsa J. Hall
- Sea Mammal Research UnitScottish Oceans InstituteUniversity of St AndrewsSt AndrewsUK
| | - Joel Rocha
- Division of Sports and Exercise SciencesSchool of Applied SciencesAbertay UniversityDundeeUK
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Evans HK, Bunch AJ, Schmitt JD, Hoogakker FJ, Carlson KB. High-throughput sequencing outperforms traditional morphological methods in Blue Catfish diet analysis and reveals novel insights into diet ecology. Ecol Evol 2021; 11:5584-5597. [PMID: 34026031 PMCID: PMC8131796 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.7460] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2020] [Revised: 03/01/2021] [Accepted: 03/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Blue Catfish Ictalurus furcatus are an invasive, yet economically important species in the Chesapeake Bay. However, their impact on the trophic ecology of this system is not well understood. In order to provide in-depth analysis of predation by Blue Catfish, we identified prey items using high-throughput DNA sequencing (HTS) of entire gastrointestinal tracts from 134 samples using two genetic markers, mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase I (COI) and the nuclear 18S ribosomal RNA gene. We compared our HTS results to a more traditional "hybrid" approach that coupled morphological identification with DNA barcoding. The hybrid study was conducted on additional Blue Catfish samples (n = 617 stomachs) collected from the same location and season in the previous year. Taxonomic representation with HTS vastly surpassed that achieved with the hybrid methodology in Blue Catfish. Significantly, our HTS study identified several instances of at-risk and invasive species consumption not identified using the hybrid method, supporting the hypothesis that previous studies using morphological methods may greatly underestimate consumption of critical species. Finally, we report the novel finding that Blue Catfish diet diversity inversely correlates to daily flow rates, perhaps due to higher mobility and prey-seeking behaviors exhibited during lower flow.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heather K. Evans
- Genomics and Microbiology LaboratoryNorth Carolina Museum of Natural SciencesRaleighNCUSA
- North Carolina Wildlife Resources CommissionRaleighNCUSA
| | - Aaron J. Bunch
- Virginia Department of Wildlife ResourcesCharles CityVAUSA
- Department of Forestry and Environmental ConservationClemson UniversityClemsonSCUSA
| | - Joseph D. Schmitt
- Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State UniversityBlacksburgVAUSA
- U.S. Geological SurveyGreat Lakes Science CenterSanduskyOHUSA
| | - Frederick J. Hoogakker
- Virginia Department of Wildlife ResourcesCharles CityVAUSA
- Tennessee Cooperative Fishery Research UnitTennessee Tech UniversityCookevilleTNUSA
| | - Kara B. Carlson
- Genomics and Microbiology LaboratoryNorth Carolina Museum of Natural SciencesRaleighNCUSA
- Department of GeneticsNorth Carolina State UniversityRaleighNCUSA
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Traugott M, Thalinger B, Wallinger C, Sint D. Fish as predators and prey: DNA-based assessment of their role in food webs. JOURNAL OF FISH BIOLOGY 2021; 98:367-382. [PMID: 32441321 PMCID: PMC7891366 DOI: 10.1111/jfb.14400] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2019] [Revised: 03/26/2020] [Accepted: 05/20/2020] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
Fish are both consumers and prey, and as such part of a dynamic trophic network. Measuring how they are trophically linked, both directly and indirectly, to other species is vital to comprehend the mechanisms driving alterations in fish communities in space and time. Moreover, this knowledge also helps to understand how fish communities respond to environmental change and delivers important information for implementing management of fish stocks. DNA-based methods have significantly widened our ability to assess trophic interactions in both marine and freshwater systems and they possess a range of advantages over other approaches in diet analysis. In this review we provide an overview of different DNA-based methods that have been used to assess trophic interactions of fish as consumers and prey. We consider the practicalities and limitations, and emphasize critical aspects when analysing molecular derived trophic data. We exemplify how molecular techniques have been employed to unravel food web interactions involving fish as consumers and prey. In addition to the exciting opportunities DNA-based approaches offer, we identify current challenges and future prospects for assessing fish food webs where DNA-based approaches will play an important role.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Traugott
- Applied Animal Ecology, Department of ZoologyUniversity of InnsbruckInnsbruckAustria
| | - Bettina Thalinger
- Applied Animal Ecology, Department of ZoologyUniversity of InnsbruckInnsbruckAustria
- Centre for Biodiversity Genomics, University of GuelphGuelphCanada
| | - Corinna Wallinger
- Institute of Interdisciplinary Mountain Research, Austrian Academy of ScienceInnsbruckAustria
| | - Daniela Sint
- Applied Animal Ecology, Department of ZoologyUniversity of InnsbruckInnsbruckAustria
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8
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Dannenberger D, Möller R, Westphal L, Moritz T, Dähne M, Grunow B. Fatty Acid Composition in Blubber, Liver, and Muscle of Marine Mammals in the Southern Baltic Sea. Animals (Basel) 2020; 10:ani10091509. [PMID: 32859039 PMCID: PMC7552294 DOI: 10.3390/ani10091509] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2020] [Revised: 08/07/2020] [Accepted: 08/21/2020] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Marine mammals play an important role in marine ecosystems. However, as they are less accessible for research, relatively little is known about their physiology compared to terrestrial mammals. The stranding scheme of the Deutsches Meeresmuseum (Stralsund, Germany) continuously collects strandings and by-catches of marine mammals in the Baltic Sea in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. In this project, the fatty acid composition of the liver, skeletal muscles, and blubber of harbour porpoises and grey seals from the southern Baltic Sea was investigated for the first time. In the liver and blubber tissue, the values and concentrations measured for both species are consistent with studies on other marine mammals. In a direct comparison of the focus species, the skeletal muscles of harbour porpoises exhibit higher concentrations of fatty acids than those of grey seals. In the future, these studies will be extended to the entire Baltic Sea, as we suspect that fatty acid composition can be used to determine the nutritional status of the animals and thus will allow for an objective assessment of the body condition. Abstract To date, only limited results on the fatty composition in different tissues of the top predators in the Baltic Sea are available. In the current study, tissue samples of blubber, skeletal muscle, and liver from 8 harbour porpoise (Phocoena phocoena) and 17 grey seals (Halichoerus grypus) in the Baltic Sea off Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania were included in the investigation. While the total fatty acid content in liver and blubber tissue revealed no differences between both species, the total fatty acid content of muscle tissue was significantly differentand showed higher concentrations in harbour porpoise muscle compared with grey seals. The most abundant fatty acids in the blubber of grey seals and harbour porpoises (18:1cis-9, 16:1cis-9, 16:0 and 22:6n-3) were present in similar quantities and ratios to each other as known from other marine top predators. If future studies can show that differences in tissue fatty acid content are caused by variation in the nutritional status, and this may lead to the development of a more objective assessment of body condition in seals and porpoises recovered via stranding schemes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dirk Dannenberger
- Leibniz Institute for Farm Animal Biology, Institute of Muscle Biology and Growth, 18196 Dummerstorf, Germany;
| | - Ramona Möller
- Albrecht Daniel Thaer-Institute for Agricultural and Horticultural Sciences, Faculty of Life Sciences, Humboldt-University Berlin, 10099 Berlin, Germany;
| | - Linda Westphal
- Deutsches Meeresmuseum, Katharinenberg 14-20, 18439 Stralsund, Germany; (L.W.); (T.M.); (M.D.)
| | - Timo Moritz
- Deutsches Meeresmuseum, Katharinenberg 14-20, 18439 Stralsund, Germany; (L.W.); (T.M.); (M.D.)
- Institute of Zoology and Evolutionary Biology, Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena, Erbertstr. 1, 07743 Jena, Germany
| | - Michael Dähne
- Deutsches Meeresmuseum, Katharinenberg 14-20, 18439 Stralsund, Germany; (L.W.); (T.M.); (M.D.)
| | - Bianka Grunow
- Leibniz Institute for Farm Animal Biology, Institute of Muscle Biology and Growth, 18196 Dummerstorf, Germany;
- Correspondence:
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9
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Bonin M, Dussault C, Taillon J, Lecomte N, Côté SD. Combining stable isotopes, morphological, and molecular analyses to reconstruct the diet of free-ranging consumers. Ecol Evol 2020; 10:6664-6676. [PMID: 32724540 PMCID: PMC7381590 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.6397] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2020] [Revised: 04/24/2020] [Accepted: 04/30/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Accurate estimates of animal diet composition are essential to untangle complex interactions in food webs. Biomarkers and molecular tools are increasingly used to estimate diet, sometimes alongside traditional dietary tracing methods. Yet only a few empirical studies have compared the outcomes and potential gains of using a combination of these methods, especially using free-ranging animals with distinct foraging preferences.We used stable isotopes, morphological, and molecular analyses to investigate the diet of free-ranging consumers with two distinct diet types, that is, carnivore and omnivore. By combining the three analytical methods to assess the diet of consumers during the same period, we aimed to identify the limits of each method and to assess the potential benefits of their combined use to derive diet estimates.Our results showed that the different methods led to a consistent diet description for carnivores, which have a relatively simple diet mixture, but their outcomes somewhat differed for omnivore, which have a more complex diet. Still, the combined use of morphological and molecular analyses enhanced the diversity of food sources detected compared to the use of a single method independently of diet types. Precision of diet estimates derived from stable isotope analyses was improved by the addition of priors obtained from morphological and molecular diet analyses of the same population.Although we used free-ranging animals without a known diet, our empirical testing of three of the most widely used methods of diet determination highlights the limits of relying over a single approach, especially in systems with few or no a priori information about the foraging habits of consumers. The choice of an appropriate approach of diet description should be a key step when planning dietary studies of free-ranging populations. We recommend using more than one dietary determination methods especially for species with complex diet mixtures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michaël Bonin
- Caribou UngavaCentre d’études nordiquesUniversité LavalQuébecQCCanada
| | - Christian Dussault
- Caribou UngavaCentre d’études nordiquesUniversité LavalQuébecQCCanada
- Direction de l’expertise sur la faune terrestre, l’herpétofaune et l’avifauneMinistère des Forêts, de la Faune et des ParcsQuébecQCCanada
| | - Joëlle Taillon
- Caribou UngavaCentre d’études nordiquesUniversité LavalQuébecQCCanada
- Direction de l’expertise sur la faune terrestre, l’herpétofaune et l’avifauneMinistère des Forêts, de la Faune et des ParcsQuébecQCCanada
| | - Nicolas Lecomte
- Caribou UngavaCentre d’études nordiquesUniversité LavalQuébecQCCanada
- Chaire de recherche du Canada en écologie polaire et boréaleUniversité de MonctonMonctonNBCanada
| | - Steeve D. Côté
- Caribou UngavaCentre d’études nordiquesUniversité LavalQuébecQCCanada
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Kauhala K, Kurkilahti M. Delayed effects of prey fish quality and winter temperature during the birth year on adult size and reproductive rate of Baltic grey seals. MAMMAL RES 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s13364-019-00454-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Environmental conditions of mammalian juveniles may have delayed effects on their life histories and fitness, such as body size or reproductive rate later in their lives. In the present study, we tested this hypothesis on Baltic grey seals (Halichoerus grypus) and examined (1) the possible effects of prey fish quality and winter temperature on body condition of grey seal pups of both sexes and (2) the possible delayed impacts of pup environment on the body size and birth rate of adult grey seals. Body condition (blubber thickness) of especially female pups in April–May correlated negatively with winter temperatures, and body condition of male pups correlated positively with prey fish quality (herring Clupea harengus and sprat Sprattus sprattus weight). Males reached the asymptotic length at the age of 10.3 years, and body length of adult males (≥ 10 years old) was positively related to herring and sprat weight in their birth year. Females reached the asymptotic length at the age of 5.9 years. Birth rate of females (age 7–24 years) was negatively related to winter temperature in their birth year. We conclude that both changes in prey fish quality and climate may affect body condition of pups and thus also cause delayed effects on adult fitness: body size and reproductive rate of Baltic grey seals.
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