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Migratory Connectivity And Carry-Over Effects In Northwest Atlantic Loggerhead Turtles (Caretta Caretta, L.), Simona Ceriani
Migratory Connectivity And Carry-Over Effects In Northwest Atlantic Loggerhead Turtles (Caretta Caretta, L.), Simona Ceriani
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Migration is a widespread and complex phenomenon in nature that has fascinated humans for centuries. Connectivity among populations influences their demographics, genetic structure and response to environmental change. Here, I used the loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta, L.) as a study organism to address questions related to migratory connectivity and carry-over effects using satellite telemetry, stable isotope analysis and GIS interpolation methods. Telemetry identified foraging areas previously overlooked for loggerheads nesting in Florida. Next, I validated and evaluated the efficacy of intrinsic markers as a complementary and low cost tool to assign loggerhead foraging regions in the Northwest Atlantic Ocean (NWA), …
Estimating Diet And Food Selectivity Of The Lower Keys Marsh Rabbit Using Stable Isotope Analysis, Matthew James Gordon
Estimating Diet And Food Selectivity Of The Lower Keys Marsh Rabbit Using Stable Isotope Analysis, Matthew James Gordon
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Understanding the effect of food abundance on feeding behavior can benefit conservation efforts in many ways, such as to determine whether impacted environments need food supplementation, whether different locations of threatened species contain different food abundances, or whether reintroduction sites are missing key components of a species’ diet. I studied the relationship between feeding behavior and food abundance in the Lower Keys marsh rabbit (Sylvilagus palustris hefneri), an endangered subspecies endemic to the lower Florida Keys. Specifically, my study set out to measure the relative abundance of the primary plants within the natural habitat of the Lower Keys marsh rabbit …
Using Stable Isotopes To Assess Population Structure And Feeding Ecology Of North Pacific Humpback Whales (Megaptera Novaeangliae), Briana Witteveen
Using Stable Isotopes To Assess Population Structure And Feeding Ecology Of North Pacific Humpback Whales (Megaptera Novaeangliae), Briana Witteveen
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
The North Pacific humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) is a wide-ranging baleen whale species with a complex life history and population structure. As seasonal migrants, humpback whales are known to inhabit cooler, high-latitude waters when foraging and low-latitudes for mating and calving. Beyond this general migratory pattern, a number of demographic characteristics including, abundance, distribution, seasonal occurrence, and prey preferences remain unknown or poorly described. A complete understanding of humpback whale ecology is therefore lacking. Many methods used to explore these aspects of cetacean ecology are either prohibitively expensive or limited in the scope of what can be learned from their …
Stabel Isotope Turnover Rates And Diet-Tissue Discrimination In The Skin Of West Indian Manatees: Implcations For Evaluating Their Feeding Ecology And Habitat Use, Christy Alves
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
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 …