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Feeding Ecology Of Highly Migratory Epipelagic Offshore Predators In The Western North Atlantic Ocean, Rachel Lorraine Hildebrand

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Describing trophic ecology of top predators in marine ecosystems is key to understanding the dynamics of these environments. Feeding ecologies of large predatory fishes were assessed using a combination of stomach content and stable isotope analysis. The target species for this study inhabit the epipelagic ecosystem of the U.S. South Atlantic Bight in the western North Atlantic Ocean. The studied species included five tuna species, five billfish species, Common Dolphinfish, and Wahoo. The goal of this study was to describe and compare the trophic dynamics of each species. From these data, the trophic complex of the offshore pelagic ecosystem was …