Trophic Interactions, Habitat Use, and Pollution Loads of Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops Truncatus) in the Florida Coastal Everglades, Florida, USA, 2013-2019
At a Glance
Authors: Valeria Paz, Michael Heithaus, Jeremy Kiszka , Kirk Gastrich
Time period: 2013-02-27 to 2019-02-22
Package id: knb-lter-fce.1243.1
Paz, V., M. Heithaus, J. Kiszka , K. Gastrich. 2023. Trophic Interactions, Habitat Use, and Pollution Loads of Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops Truncatus) in the Florida Coastal Everglades, Florida, USA, 2013-2019. Environmental Data Initiative. https://doi.org/10.6073/pasta/4da8a26388dc34d5f86e26eeb74a4a84. Dataset accessed 2024-09-08.
Geographic Coverage
This data set contains the following files.
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2023_LTER_DolphinBiopsy
Bottlenose Dolphin Biopsy data- Isotopes, age, total mercury and selenium
Attribute table details Download
2023_LTER_Dolphin_Prey
Prey targeted by bottlenose dolphins- Isotopes, total mercury, and selenium
Attribute table details Download
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Dataset Creator(s)
- Name: Dr. Valeria Paz
- Position: Courtesy Post Doctoral Researcher
- Organization: Florida International University
- Email: vpaz003@fiu.edu
- Name: Dr. Michael Heithaus
- Position: Dean School of Arts and Sciences
- Organization: Florida International University
- Email: heithaus@fiu.edu
- Name: Dr. Jeremy Kiszka
- Position: Assistant Professor
- Organization: Florida International University
- Email: jkiszka@fiu.edu
- Name: Kirk Gastrich
- Position: Lab manager and researcher
- Email: kgastric@fiu.edu
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Dataset AbstractCetaceans can feed at upper trophic levels and occur from freshwater to open-ocean ecosystems. Due to their abundance, mobility, and high metabolic rates, they have the potential to affect the structure and function of ecosystems through both top-down and bottom-up pathways. To better understand what ecological roles they may play in a system, it is important to understand patterns and drivers of their abundance, habitat use, and trophic interactions. I investigated the trophic interactions and pollutant exposure of common bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) of the Florida Coastal Everglades. Based on bulk stable isotope analysis of tissue samples collected using biopsy sampling, it appears that despite their high mobility, bottlenose dolphins restrict their foraging within the habitats where they were sampled. Trophic position and foraging locations affected exposure to pollutants, with high levels of mercury found in dolphins estimated to forage at higher trophic levels and feeding within an inland bay. Mercury levels also varied with age and sex. Dolphins and their prey both contained substantial mercury levels and dolphins’ health could be impacted by this exposure, but the selenium levels we measured might counteract these negative effects.
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Geographic CoverageBounding Coordinates
Florida Coastal Everglades
N: 25.2600055, S: 25.2071794, E: -80.8018979, W: -81.0707961
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Temporal CoverageStart Date: 2013-02-27
End Date: 2019-02-22
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Attributes
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Data Table: Bottlenose Dolphin Biopsy data- Isotopes, age, total mercury and seleniumAttribute Name:DateAttribute Label:DateAttribute Definition:DateStorage Type:dateTimeMeasurement Scale:Missing Value Code:Attribute Name:Sample_IDAttribute Label:Sample_IDAttribute Definition:Sample ID nameStorage Type:stringMeasurement Scale:textMissing Value Code:Attribute Name:LocationAttribute Label:LocationAttribute Definition:Location area of biopsy sampleStorage Type:stringMeasurement Scale:Florida Bay= Florida Bay sample location
Gulf of Mexico= Gulf of Mexico sampling location
Shark River= Shark River sampling location
Tarpon Bay= Tarpon Bay sampling location
Whitewater Bay= Tarpon Bay sampling location
Missing Value Code:Attribute Name:SeasonAttribute Label:SeasonAttribute Definition:season of time of the sampling event - wet or dryStorage Type:stringMeasurement Scale:Dry= Dry season- November to May
Wet= Wet season- June to October
Missing Value Code:Attribute Name:Blubber_Delta15NAttribute Label:Blubber_Delta15NAttribute Definition:Nitrogen Stable isotope of blubber tissueStorage Type:floatMeasurement Scale:Units: permilNumber Type: realMissing Value Code:-9999 ( No sample available for analysis)Attribute Name:Blubber_Delta13CAttribute Label:Blubber_Delta13CAttribute Definition:Carbon Stable isotope of blubber tissueStorage Type:floatMeasurement Scale:Units: permilNumber Type: realMissing Value Code:-9999 ( No sample available for analysis)Attribute Name:Skin_Delta15NAttribute Label:Skin_Delta15NAttribute Definition:Nitrogen Stable isotope of skin tissueStorage Type:floatMeasurement Scale:Units: permilNumber Type: realMissing Value Code:Attribute Name:Skin_Delta13CAttribute Label:Skin_Delta13CAttribute Definition:Carbon Stable isotope of skin tissueStorage Type:floatMeasurement Scale:Units: permilNumber Type: realMissing Value Code:Attribute Name:Latitude_DDAttribute Label:Latitude_DDAttribute Definition:LatitudeStorage Type:floatMeasurement Scale:Units: Decimal DegreesNumber Type: realMissing Value Code:Attribute Name:Longitude_DDAttribute Label:Longitude_DDAttribute Definition:LongitudeStorage Type:floatMeasurement Scale:Units: Decimal DegreesNumber Type: realMissing Value Code:Attribute Name:SexAttribute Label:SexAttribute Definition:Sex of individual sampledStorage Type:stringMeasurement Scale:F= Female
M= Male
Missing Value Code:Attribute Name:AgeAttribute Label:AgeAttribute Definition:Average estimated ageStorage Type:floatMeasurement Scale:Units: Age unitNumber Type: realMissing Value Code:-9999 ( No sample available for analysis)Attribute Name:low_ageAttribute Label:low_ageAttribute Definition:Low range of estimated rangeStorage Type:floatMeasurement Scale:Units: Age unitNumber Type: realMissing Value Code:-9999 ( No sample available for analysis)Attribute Name:high_ageAttribute Label:high_ageAttribute Definition:High range of estimated ageStorage Type:floatMeasurement Scale:Units: Age unitNumber Type: realMissing Value Code:-9999 ( No sample available for analysis)Attribute Name:ppm_THgAttribute Label:ppm_THgAttribute Definition:Total Mercury ppmStorage Type:floatMeasurement Scale:Units: ppmNumber Type: realMissing Value Code:-9999 ( No sample available for analysis)Attribute Name:THg_molarAttribute Label:THg_molarAttribute Definition:Total Mercury molar weightStorage Type:floatMeasurement Scale:Units: grams per moleNumber Type: realMissing Value Code:-9999 ( No sample available for analysis)Attribute Name:Se_ppmAttribute Label:Se_ppmAttribute Definition:Selenium ppmStorage Type:floatMeasurement Scale:Units: ppmNumber Type: realMissing Value Code:-9999 ( No sample available for analysis)Attribute Name:Se_molarAttribute Label:Se_molarAttribute Definition:Selenium molar weightStorage Type:floatMeasurement Scale:Units: grams per moleNumber Type: realMissing Value Code:-9999 ( No sample available for analysis)
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Data Table: Prey targeted by bottlenose dolphins- Isotopes, total mercury, and seleniumAttribute Name:Sample IDAttribute Label:Sample IDAttribute Definition:Sample ID nameStorage Type:stringMeasurement Scale:textMissing Value Code:Attribute Name:DateAttribute Label:DateAttribute Definition:DateStorage Type:dateTimeMeasurement Scale:Missing Value Code:Attribute Name:Gear_TypeAttribute Label:Gear_TypeAttribute Definition:Gear typeStorage Type:stringMeasurement Scale:CN= Cast Net
HL= Hook and line- fishing pole
Missing Value Code:Attribute Name:LocationAttribute Label:LocationAttribute Definition:Location of samplingStorage Type:stringMeasurement Scale:Florida Bay= Florida Bay sample location
Shark River= Shark River sampling location
Tarpon Bay= Tarpon Bay sampling location
Whitewater Bay= Whitewater Bay sampling location
Missing Value Code:Attribute Name:Latitude_DDAttribute Label:Latitude_DDAttribute Definition:LatitudeStorage Type:floatMeasurement Scale:Units: Decimal DegreesNumber Type: realMissing Value Code:Attribute Name:Longitude_DDAttribute Label:Longitude_DDAttribute Definition:Longitude Decimal DegreesStorage Type:floatMeasurement Scale:Units: Decimal DegreesNumber Type: realMissing Value Code:Attribute Name:SpeciesAttribute Label:SpeciesAttribute Definition:SpeciesStorage Type:stringMeasurement Scale:Caranx sp.= Caranx sp.
C. nebulosus = Cynoscion nebulosus
C. undecimalis= Centropomus undecimalis
Caranx sp.= Caranx sp.
E. saurus= Elops saurus
L. griseus= Lutjanus griseus
L. rhomboides= Lagodon rhomboides
M. cephalus= Mugil cephalus
S. ocellatus= Sciaenops ocellatus
Missing Value Code:Attribute Name:Muscle_Delta15NAttribute Label:Muscle_Delta15NAttribute Definition:Nitrogen Stable isotope of muscle tissueStorage Type:floatMeasurement Scale:Units: permilNumber Type: realMissing Value Code:Attribute Name:Muscle_Delta13CAttribute Label:Muscle_Delta13CAttribute Definition:Carbon Stable isotope of muscle tissueStorage Type:floatMeasurement Scale:Units: permilNumber Type: realMissing Value Code:Attribute Name:Total_Length_cmAttribute Label:Total_Length_cmAttribute Definition:total lengthStorage Type:floatMeasurement Scale:Units: centimeterNumber Type: realMissing Value Code:Attribute Name:Fork_Length_cmAttribute Label:Fork_Length_cmAttribute Definition:Fork LengthStorage Type:floatMeasurement Scale:Units: centimeterNumber Type: realMissing Value Code:-9999 (No Fork Length )Attribute Name:Weight_kgAttribute Label:Weight_kgAttribute Definition:WeightStorage Type:floatMeasurement Scale:Units: kilogramNumber Type: realMissing Value Code:-9999 (Not able to be measured)Attribute Name:THG_ppmAttribute Label:THG_ppmAttribute Definition:Total Mercury ppmStorage Type:floatMeasurement Scale:Units: ppmNumber Type: realMissing Value Code:
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Data Table: Bottlenose Dolphin Biopsy data- Isotopes, age, total mercury and selenium
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MethodsMethod Step
Description
Stable Isotope Analysis
Dolphin skin samples were removed from the blubber layer using a methanol-rinsed stainless-steel blade by cutting as close to the interface between the two layers as possible without retaining any blubber. Dolphin samples (both skin and blubber) and prey samples (muscle tissue) were dried in an oven at 60 °C for 24-48 hr and then homogenized into a fine powder (DeNiro and Epstein, 1978). Lipids were removed only from dolphin samples using a 2:1 chloroform:methanol mixture for one minute with a solvent volume three times greater than the sample, left undisturbed for at least 45 min, centrifuged for 10 min, and then the supernatant was removed. After repeating this process three times, each dolphin sample was rinsed in deionized water and dried. The dried prey samples and lipid-extracted dolphin samples were then weighed, (0.4–0.7 mg) , and placed in a 4x6 mm tin capsule for SIA using a ThermoFinnigan Delta V isotope ratio mass spectrometer (IRMS) coupled with a NA 1500 NE elemental analyzer. Isotopic ratios are reported in the standard delta (δ) notation relative to the international standards of Vienna Pee Dee belemnite (δ13C) and atmospheric nitrogen (δ15N) using the following equation (1):
(1) δ(‰) = [(RSample/RStandard) – 1] x 1000
All stable isotope analyses (SIA) were completed at the Southeast Environmental Research Center Stable Isotope Laboratory at Florida International University. Analytical reproducibility was based on replicates of internal standards including bovine liver and glycine; variation among standards was 0.12‰ and 0.10‰ for δ13C and δ15N, respectively. The mean skin and blubber C: N ratios were less than 3, indicating an adequate lipid extraction (Lesage et al., 2010).
References:
DeNiro, M. J., & Epstein, S. (1978). Influence of diet on the distribution of carbon isotopes in animals. Geochimica et cosmochimica acta, 42(5), 495-506.
Lesage, A., Lelli, M., Gajan, D., Caporini, M. A., Vitzthum, V., Miéville, P., ... & Emsley, L. (2010). Surface enhanced NMR spectroscopy by dynamic nuclear polarization. Journal of the American Chemical Society, 132(44), 15459-15461.
Method Step
Description
DNA extraction and sex identification
In order to sex sampled individual dolphins, DNA was extracted from skin tissue (< 2 mm) using a modified phenol/chloroform protocol from Sambrook et al. (1989) and described in detail in Beal et al. (2019). Concentrations of extracted DNA were checked by nanodrop and quality checked by gel electrophoresis. Aliquots at 30 ng/µL concentration were created for sex and age analysis procedures. Sex was identified by PCR and gel electrophoresis using the following PCR protocol: 10 µL H2O, 0.2 µL Thermo ScientificTM DreamTaqTM (5 U/ µL), 4 µL DreamTaq Polymerase Buffer, 1 µL dNTPs (2mM), 1 µL MgCl2 (25mM), 1 µL of Forward and Reverse ZFX primers (1 µM) and Forward SRY primer, and 0.5 µL Reverse SRY primer (1 µM) to which 1.5 µL of aliquoted DNA was added for a total volume of 21.2 µL for each sample. Thermocycler settings were as follows: initial denaturation of 95°C for 30s, followed by 30 cycles of 94°C for 30s, 51°C for 45s, and 72°C for 45s, then a final extension at 68°C for 5 min, ending with a final hold at 4°C. PCR products were run on a 2.5% agarose gel with Smart Glow pre-stain at 90 Voltz for approximately 1.5 hours and viewed with UV light.
References:
Beal, A. P., Kiszka, J. J., Wells, R. S., & Eirin-Lopez, J. M. (2019). The bottlenose dolphin epigenetic aging tool (BEAT): A molecular age estimation tool for small cetaceans. Frontiers in Marine Science, 6, 561.
Sambrook, J., Fritsch, E. F., & Maniatis, T. (1989). Molecular cloning: a laboratory manual (No. Ed. 2). Cold spring harbor laboratory press.
Method Step
Description
Age was estimated for all individuals using the Bottlenose Epigenetic Aging Tool (BEAT; Beal et al. 2019). Extracted DNA was divided into 600 ng aliquots (20ng/µL) and subjected to bisulfite transformation and pyrosequencing using the established protocol for the BEAT (EpigenDx, Hopkinton, MA, USA). The % DNA methylation was used in the BEAT model equation (2) to estimate age for all individuals. The BEAT model was determined to have a root mean square error of 5.14 when cross validated using the leave one out cross validation (LOOCV) method. This means that individual age estimates produced by the BEAT model are within this error range (Beal et al., 2019). Using this potential error, both high and low age estimates were also used in analyses. High age estimates were used for this study.
(2) Age estimate= 8.602 + 4.392 (%DNA GRIA_5) – 1.149 (%DNA TET2_2)
References:
Beal, A. P., Kiszka, J. J., Wells, R. S., & Eirin-Lopez, J. M. (2019). The bottlenose dolphin epigenetic aging tool (BEAT): A molecular age estimation tool for small cetaceans. Frontiers in Marine Science, 6, 561.
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Distribution and Intellectual RightsOnline distribution
https://pasta.lternet.edu/package/data/eml/knb-lter-fce/1243/1/467e5f71379c6e948adee9b37e482a2f
Intellectual Rights
These data are embargoed so that the graduate student who collected them will have a chance to publish their findings before the data can be accessed by others.
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Keywordsbiopsies, mercury, total mercury, carbon isotopes, nitrogen isotopes, aging, DNA methylation, bottlenose dolphins, fish stable isotopes, Tursiops truncatus, isotopes, stable isotopes, fishes
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Dataset Contact
- Name: Kirk Gastrich
- Position: Lab manager and researcher
- Organization: Florida International University
- Email: kgastric@fiu.edu
- Name: Dr. Valeria Paz
- Position: Courtesy Post Doctoral Researcher
- Organization: Florida International University
- Email: vpaz003@fiu.edu
- Name: Michael Heithaus
- Position: Dean School of Arts and Sciences
- Organization: Florida International University
- Email: heithaus@fiu.edu
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Data Table and FormatData Table: Bottlenose Dolphin Biopsy data- Isotopes, age, total mercury and seleniumEntity Name:2023_LTER_DolphinBiopsyEntity Description:Bottlenose Dolphin Biopsy data- Isotopes, age, total mercury and seleniumObject Name:2023_LTER_Dolphin.csvNumber of Header Lines:1Attribute Orientation:columnField Delimiter:,Number of Records:90
Data Table: Prey targeted by bottlenose dolphins- Isotopes, total mercury, and seleniumEntity Name:2023_LTER_Dolphin_PreyEntity Description:Prey targeted by bottlenose dolphins- Isotopes, total mercury, and seleniumObject Name:2023_LTER_Dolphin_Prey.csvNumber of Header Lines:1Attribute Orientation:columnField Delimiter:,Number of Records:123