Title
Mother-egg stable isotope conversions and effects of lipid extraction and ethanol preservation on loggerhead eggs
Date Issued
01 January 2014
Access level
open access
Resource Type
journal article
Author(s)
Kaufman T.
Bjorndal K.
Bolten A.
Pfaller J.
Williams K.
Vander Zanden H.
University of Florida
Publisher(s)
Oxford University Press
Abstract
Carbon and nitrogen stable isotope (δ13C and δ15N) analysis has been used to elucidate foraging and migration behaviours of endangered sea turtle populations. Isotopic analysis of tissue samples from nesting females can provide information about their foraging locations before reproduction. To determine whether loggerhead (Caretta caretta) eggs provide a good proxy for maternal isotope values, we addressed the following three objectives: (i) we evaluated isotopic effects of ethanol preservation and lipid extraction on yolk; (ii) we examined the isotopic offset between maternal epidermis and corresponding egg yolk and albumen tissue δ13C and δ15N values; and (iii) we assessed the accuracy of foraging ground assignment using egg yolk and albumen stable isotope values as a proxy for maternal epidermis. Epidermis (n = 61), albumen (n = 61) and yolk samples (n = 24) were collected in 2011 from nesting females at Wassaw Island, GA, USA. Subsamples from frozen and ethanol-preserved yolk samples were lipid extracted. Both lipid extraction and ethanol preservation significantly affected yolk δ13C, while δ15N values were not altered at a biologically relevant level. The mathematical corrections provided here allow for normalization of yolk δ13C values with these treatments. Significant tissue conversion equations were found between δ13C and δ15N values of maternal epidermis and corresponding yolk and albumen. Finally, the consistency in assignment to a foraging area was high (up to 84%), indicating that these conversion equations can be used in future studies where stable isotopes are measured to determine female foraging behaviour and trophic relationships by assessing egg components. Loggerhead eggs can thus provide reliable isotopic information when samples from nesting females cannot be obtained.
Volume
2
Issue
1
Language
English
OCDE Knowledge area
Bioquímica, Biología molecular
Subjects
Scopus EID
2-s2.0-84983541184
Source
Conservation Physiology
ISSN of the container
20511434
Sources of information:
Directorio de Producción Científica
Scopus