Triple stable isotope analysis to estimate the diet of the Velvet Scoter (Melanitta fusca) in the Baltic Sea

This study quantifies contributions of different food sources in the winter diet of the Velvet Scoter (Melanitta fusca) in coastal waters of the Lithuanian Baltic Sea using non-lethal avian sampling. We highlight the application of stable sulphur isotope ratios as complementary to stable carbon and...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:PeerJ
Main Authors: Morkūnė, Rasa, Lesutienė, Jūratė, Morkūnas, Julius, Barisevičiūtė, Rūta
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: 2018
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Online Access:https://vb.ku.lt/KU:ELABAPDB29709610&prefLang=en_US
Description
Summary:This study quantifies contributions of different food sources in the winter diet of the Velvet Scoter (Melanitta fusca) in coastal waters of the Lithuanian Baltic Sea using non-lethal avian sampling. We highlight the application of stable sulphur isotope ratios as complementary to stable carbon and nitrogen isotope analysis in order to discriminate sandy bottom macrozoobenthos organisms as potential food sources for the Velvet Scoter. Selection of the most relevant trophic enrichment factors and Monte Carlo simulations in order to choose the best fitted model were undertaken. The stable isotope mixing model revealed the main contributions of a group of bivalves, Mya arenaria and Cerastoderma glaucum, to be 46–54%, and while the crustacean, Saduria entomon, comprised 26–35% of the diet.