Abstract:
Stable isotope (SI) and fatty acid (FA) biomarkers provide new ways to understand predator-prey interactions. In particular, quantitative inference about the strength of feeding links can be achieved with biomarker mixing models, whose accurate application requires trophic enrichment factors (TEF) accounting for metabolism, deposition, or synthesis (also known as a “discrimination factors” or “calibration coefficients” for SI and FA, respectively). Nevertheless, many applications of mixing models do not use TEFs developed for the particular predator or conditions of interest (e.g., life stage, diet quality). We conducted a 12-week laboratory experiment to quantify SI and FA TEFs for the ecologically and economically important Blue crab, Callinectes sapidus.
Suggested Citation:
McCann, Michael J., Jensen, Olaf P.. 2018. Laboratory experiments to determine trophic enrichment factors of stables isotope and fatty acid biomarkers in the blue crab, Callinectes sapidus. Distributed by: GRIIDC, Harte Research Institute, Texas A&M University–Corpus Christi. doi:10.7266/N76971K2
Data Parameters and Units:
File: R4.x264.221-0003_McCann_etal_FAdata_sub2.csv Parameter Descriptions: sample_ID: User defined sample identifier, species (Blue Crab, Fish, Clam), tissue: type of tissue analyzed (adductor muscle, Claw muscle, digestive, foot, Hepatopancreas, muscle/fillet, homogenate), duplicate (yes, no), individ_replicate: user defined sample descriptor, fatty acid content (FA, % of total fatty acids) NOTE: All peaks generated by the gas chromatograph are presented and include peaks that were identified to specific fatty acids, as well as unknown peaks not associated to a named fatty acid. These “unknowns” are denoted by “FAME” (fatty acid methylated ester) and a sequential number. File: R4.x264.221-0003_McCann_etal_crabdata_sub1.csv Parameter Descriptions: individ_replicate: user defined sample descriptor, site, sex (male, female), diet (BSB= black sea bass, clam, n/a), initial_CW_mm: initial crab carapace width (mm), initial_damp_mass_g: initial crab damp mass (g), days_in_exp, fate, final_CW_mm: final crab carapace width (mm), final_damp_mass_g: final crab damp mass (g), days_since_molt: number of elapsed days since molt, no_molts: number of molts, CW_growth_mm_day: growth of carapace per day (mm), mass_growth_g_day: crab mass per day (g), Notes File: R4.x264.221-0003_McCann_etal_SIdata_sub1.csv Parameter Descriptions: species (blue crab, clam), tissue: type of tissue analyzed (adductor muscle, Claw muscle, digestive, foot, Hepatopancreas, muscle/fillet, homogenate), individ_replicate: user defined sample descriptor, FA_extracted (Yes,No), Note, Duplicate (yes, no), Sample_ID: User defined sample identifier, d13C stable isotope (parts per thousand), d15N stable isotope (parts per thousand).
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