69887
Assigning stranded bottlenose dolphins to source stocks using stable isotope ratios following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill
Document
Published / External
26497
Stable isotope ratios of dolphins in the Northern Gulf of Mexico as part of NRDA from DWH
Data Set
Completed
The potential for stranded dolphins to serve as a tool for monitoring free-ranging populations would be enhanced if their stocks of origin were known. We used stable isotopes of carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur from skin to assign stranded bottlenose dolphins Tursiops truncatus to different habitats, as a proxy for stocks (demographically independent populations), following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Model results from biopsy samples collected from dolphins from known habitats (n = 205) resulted in an 80.5% probability of correct assignment. These results were applied to data from stranded dolphins (n = 217), resulting in predicted assignment probabilities of 0.473, 0.172, and 0.355 to Estuarine, Barrier Island (BI), and Coastal stocks, respectively. Differences were found west and east of the Mississippi River, with more Coastal dolphins stranding in western Louisiana and more Estuarine dolphins stranding in Mississippi. Within the Estuarine East Stock, 2 groups were identified, one predominantly associated with Mississippi and Alabama estuaries and another with western Florida. ô15N values were higher in stranded samples for both Estuarine and BI stocks, potentially indicating nutritional stress. High probabilities of correct assignment of the biopsy samples indicate predictable variation in stable isotopes and fidelity to habitat. The power of ô34S to discriminate habitats relative to salinity was essential. Stable isotopes may provide guidance regarding where additional testing is warranted to confirm demographic independence and aid in determining the source habitat of stranded dolphins, thus increasing the value of biological data collected from stranded individuals.
Hohn AA, Thomas L, Carmichael RH, Litz J and others (2017) Assigning stranded bottlenose dolphins to source stocks using stable isotope ratios following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Endang Species Res 33:235-252. https://doi.org/10.3354/esr00783
10.3354/esr00783
Journal article
Acrobat Portable Document Format
Published
Author
2017
Person
Hohn, Aleta
aleta.hohn@noaa.gov
101 Pivers Island Road
Beaufort
NC
28156
252-728-8797
252-728-8784
https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=wd1SXSQAAAAJ
Aleta Hohn Google Scholar Page
Online Resource
Co-Author
2017
Person
Sinclair, Carrie
carrie.sinclair@noaa.gov
3209 Frederic St.
Pascagoula
MS
39568
228-549-1606
228-769-9200
Co-Author
2017
Person
Litz, Jenny
Jenny.Litz@noaa.gov
75 Virginia Beach Drive
Miami
FL
33139
305-361-4224
305-365-4102
2017
https://doi.org/10.3354/esr00783
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1001
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No
2023-05-11
1 Year
2024-05-11