Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Using Stable Isotopes To Investigate Trophic Interactions Of Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops Truncatus) In The Coastal Everglades, Valerie Paz

Undergraduate Research at FIU (URFIU) Conference

Top predators are best known for their ability to affect their communities through inflicting mortality on prey and inducing behavioral modifications (e.g. risk effects). Recent scientific evidence suggests that predators may have additional roles in bottom-up processes such as transporting materials within and across habitat boundaries. The Florida Coastal Everglades (FCE) is an “upside-down” oligotrophic estuary where productivity decreases from the mouth of the estuary to freshwater marshes. Research in the FCE suggest that predators can act as mobile links between disparate habitats and can potentially affect nutrient and biogeochemical dynamics through localized behaviors (e.g. American alligators and juvenile bull …