Using Stable Isotope Tracers to Determine Source Contributions in Back Bay, MS
About the Project
Fringing marsh grasses and submerged aquatic vegetation provide numerous roles for aquatic fauna. Within west Back Bay of Biloxi, Black Needle Rush and American Eelgrass are ubiquitous. Given these habitats’ close proximity to each other, fish and invertebrates may use both habitats within a single day.
Collectively, research has shown both of these habitats are important for various species while providing ecosystem services. However, there is a standing research gap on the role of each of these habitats (i.g., Black Needlerush and American Eelgrass) in providing nutrition to the base of the food web within an oligohaline ecosystem.
The goal of this project
is to use stable isotope tracers to determine which habitat is the primary source contributor within Back Bay. By using Carbon, Nitrogen, and Sulfur stable isotopes to analyze the muscle content of resident fish and invertebrates, these tracers will help us understand the base of the food web and who the major providers of basal carbon sources are.
The implications of this project…
will be used to help further inform future management strategies within Back Bay and other similar ecosystems across the northern Gulf of Mexico with respect to marsh preservation versus submerged aquatic vegetation preservation as a primary focus of habitat management plans.
Partner:
