Biochemistry Commons^™

Stable Isotope Dynamics In Summer Flounder Tissues, With Application To Dietary Assessments In Chesapeake Bay, Andre Buchheister

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

Stable isotope techniques were applied to summer flounder, Paralichthys dentatus, in Chesapeake Bay to elucidate the relative importance of different prey groups on the growth and productivity of this species. Prior to field application, a laboratory diet-shift study was conducted to evaluate methodological assumptions and obtain necessary isotopic parameters. Specifically, the goals of the laboratory study were to 1) determine isotopic turnover rates and fractionations of δ13C and δ15N in liver, whole blood, and white muscle and 2) estimate the relative importance of growth and metabolic processes on isotopic turnover. Groups of captive juvenile summer flounder (130-255mm total length) were …