Restricted Research - Award List, Note/Discussion Page
Fiscal Year: 2023
2622 Texas A&M University at Galveston (144510)
Principal Investigator: Robert Wells
Total Amount of Contract, Award, or Gift (Annual before 2011): $ 31,389
Exceeds $250,000 (Is it flagged?): No
Start and End Dates: 1/1/23 - 3/31/24
Restricted Research: YES
Academic Discipline: Biological and other Life Sciences
Department, Center, School, or Institute: Marine Biology
Title of Contract, Award, or Gift: Estimating feeding ecology of shark species using a novel technique within a remote marine sanctuary
Name of Granting or Contracting Agency/Entity:
Save Our Seas
Program Title: none
Note:
PENDING 1.1.1 Observing foraging strategies of highly mobile marine predators is vital for understanding their basic ecology and contribution within food web structures. Illuminating these aspects is essential for implementing management strategies aimed at protecting and reducing global shark population declines. We will use stable isotope analysis (SIA) to estimate the trophic relationships among three globally vulnerable shark species at the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary. Isotopic signatures can be used to clarify the allocation of prey resources and identify discrete food webs which consumers feed upon. We will estimate the trophic variations of each species using a novel and minimally invasive SIA sampling technique, dried blood spot (DBS) analysis, and validate these results against traditional bulk SIA and compound-specific nitrogen isotopic analysis of amino acids. Data obtained from this study will provide a greater understanding of shark foraging habitats and the transfer of nutrients between unique ecological environments.
Discussion: No discussion notes