in press. Ecological niche segregation among five toothed whale species off the NW Iberian Peninsula using ecological tracers as multi-approach
Abstract This study aims to assess niche segregation among the five main toothed whales that frequent the NW Iberian Peninsula waters: the common dolphin, the harbour porpoise, the bottlenose dolphin, the striped dolphin and the long-finned pilot whale. We used cadmium (Cd) and stable isotope ratios...
Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , |
---|---|
Other Authors: | |
Format: | Text |
Language: | English |
Published: |
1998
|
Subjects: | |
Online Access: | http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.1038.4833 http://www.marinemammal.org/wp-content/pdfs/Mendez-Fernandez_MarBiol2013.pdf |
Summary: | Abstract This study aims to assess niche segregation among the five main toothed whales that frequent the NW Iberian Peninsula waters: the common dolphin, the harbour porpoise, the bottlenose dolphin, the striped dolphin and the long-finned pilot whale. We used cadmium (Cd) and stable isotope ratios (d 13 C and d 15 N) as ecological tracers to assess degree of segregation in diet/trophic level and in foraging habitat, over various time-scales. d 13 C values highlighted different habitats, while Cd concentrations highlighted feeding differences between oceanic and neritic species. Moreover, d 15 N values suggest different trophic levels of prey targeted within oceanic and neritic species. Hence, results revealed long-term ecological segregation among five toothed whales that coexist in the NWIP and demonstrated the ability of ecological tracers to discriminate ecological niches among closely related species. |
---|