Quantifying the Trophic Importance of Gulf Menhaden within the Northern Gulf of Mexico Ecosystem
Abstract The Gulf Menhaden Brevoortia patronus is frequently cited as playing a predominant role in the trophic structure and function of the northern Gulf of Mexico (GOM) marine ecosystem, yet much work remains in quantifying its ecological importance. We performed a meta‐analysis of diet studies t...
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Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/19425120.2015.1091412 https://afspubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/19425120.2015.1091412 |
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crwiley:10.1080/19425120.2015.1091412 2024-10-13T14:10:28+00:00 Quantifying the Trophic Importance of Gulf Menhaden within the Northern Gulf of Mexico Ecosystem Sagarese, Skyler R. Nuttall, Matthew A. Geers, Tess M. Lauretta, Matthew V. Walter, John F. Serafy, Joseph E. 2016 http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/19425120.2015.1091412 https://afspubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/19425120.2015.1091412 en eng Wiley http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Marine and Coastal Fisheries volume 8, issue 1, page 23-45 ISSN 1942-5120 1942-5120 journal-article 2016 crwiley https://doi.org/10.1080/19425120.2015.1091412 2024-09-17T04:45:43Z Abstract The Gulf Menhaden Brevoortia patronus is frequently cited as playing a predominant role in the trophic structure and function of the northern Gulf of Mexico (GOM) marine ecosystem, yet much work remains in quantifying its ecological importance. We performed a meta‐analysis of diet studies to quantify the trophic role of Gulf Menhaden within this ecosystem. Of the 568 references consulted, 136 identified predator–prey interactions involving Gulf Menhaden, menhaden Brevoortia spp., or unidentified clupeid prey items. Overall, 79 species were reported to consume menhaden, and no significant difference was detected between the Atlantic Ocean and the GOM in the mean occurrence of Brevoortia spp. in predator stomachs. We employed a probabilistic approach using maximum likelihood estimation to quantify trophic interactions within the northern GOM, with a focus on the trophic role of Gulf Menhaden. The estimated contribution of identifiable menhaden to the diets of all predators generally ranged between 2% and 3%; the largest dietary contribution was identified for Blacktip Sharks Carcharhinus limbatus (8%), and lower estimates (<2%) were obtained for oceanic species, including sharks, billfishes, and tunas. When diet compositions were adjusted for unidentified prey by using the proportion of fish species biomass in the ecosystem, five predator groups showed a relatively large dependence on menhaden prey: juvenile King Mackerel Scomberomorus cavalla , juvenile Spanish Mackerel Scomberomorus maculatus , adult Spanish Mackerel, Red Drum Sciaenops ocellatus , and Blacktip Sharks. The quantification of trophic linkages and key predators identified herein will be fundamental to future modeling efforts focused on the northern GOM ecosystem. Received March 24, 2015; accepted September 3, 2015 Article in Journal/Newspaper Red drum Sciaenops ocellatus Wiley Online Library Marine and Coastal Fisheries 8 1 23 45 |
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Wiley Online Library |
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crwiley |
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English |
description |
Abstract The Gulf Menhaden Brevoortia patronus is frequently cited as playing a predominant role in the trophic structure and function of the northern Gulf of Mexico (GOM) marine ecosystem, yet much work remains in quantifying its ecological importance. We performed a meta‐analysis of diet studies to quantify the trophic role of Gulf Menhaden within this ecosystem. Of the 568 references consulted, 136 identified predator–prey interactions involving Gulf Menhaden, menhaden Brevoortia spp., or unidentified clupeid prey items. Overall, 79 species were reported to consume menhaden, and no significant difference was detected between the Atlantic Ocean and the GOM in the mean occurrence of Brevoortia spp. in predator stomachs. We employed a probabilistic approach using maximum likelihood estimation to quantify trophic interactions within the northern GOM, with a focus on the trophic role of Gulf Menhaden. The estimated contribution of identifiable menhaden to the diets of all predators generally ranged between 2% and 3%; the largest dietary contribution was identified for Blacktip Sharks Carcharhinus limbatus (8%), and lower estimates (<2%) were obtained for oceanic species, including sharks, billfishes, and tunas. When diet compositions were adjusted for unidentified prey by using the proportion of fish species biomass in the ecosystem, five predator groups showed a relatively large dependence on menhaden prey: juvenile King Mackerel Scomberomorus cavalla , juvenile Spanish Mackerel Scomberomorus maculatus , adult Spanish Mackerel, Red Drum Sciaenops ocellatus , and Blacktip Sharks. The quantification of trophic linkages and key predators identified herein will be fundamental to future modeling efforts focused on the northern GOM ecosystem. Received March 24, 2015; accepted September 3, 2015 |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Sagarese, Skyler R. Nuttall, Matthew A. Geers, Tess M. Lauretta, Matthew V. Walter, John F. Serafy, Joseph E. |
spellingShingle |
Sagarese, Skyler R. Nuttall, Matthew A. Geers, Tess M. Lauretta, Matthew V. Walter, John F. Serafy, Joseph E. Quantifying the Trophic Importance of Gulf Menhaden within the Northern Gulf of Mexico Ecosystem |
author_facet |
Sagarese, Skyler R. Nuttall, Matthew A. Geers, Tess M. Lauretta, Matthew V. Walter, John F. Serafy, Joseph E. |
author_sort |
Sagarese, Skyler R. |
title |
Quantifying the Trophic Importance of Gulf Menhaden within the Northern Gulf of Mexico Ecosystem |
title_short |
Quantifying the Trophic Importance of Gulf Menhaden within the Northern Gulf of Mexico Ecosystem |
title_full |
Quantifying the Trophic Importance of Gulf Menhaden within the Northern Gulf of Mexico Ecosystem |
title_fullStr |
Quantifying the Trophic Importance of Gulf Menhaden within the Northern Gulf of Mexico Ecosystem |
title_full_unstemmed |
Quantifying the Trophic Importance of Gulf Menhaden within the Northern Gulf of Mexico Ecosystem |
title_sort |
quantifying the trophic importance of gulf menhaden within the northern gulf of mexico ecosystem |
publisher |
Wiley |
publishDate |
2016 |
url |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/19425120.2015.1091412 https://afspubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/19425120.2015.1091412 |
genre |
Red drum Sciaenops ocellatus |
genre_facet |
Red drum Sciaenops ocellatus |
op_source |
Marine and Coastal Fisheries volume 8, issue 1, page 23-45 ISSN 1942-5120 1942-5120 |
op_rights |
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1080/19425120.2015.1091412 |
container_title |
Marine and Coastal Fisheries |
container_volume |
8 |
container_issue |
1 |
container_start_page |
23 |
op_container_end_page |
45 |
_version_ |
1812817747294289920 |