Unique Post-telemetry Recapture Enables Development of Multi-Element Isoscapes From Barnacle Shell for Retracing Host Movement
Many ecological investigations rely on understanding the movement of animals through marine environments. Most available tracking techniques are invasive (e.g., tissue sampling) and require extensive effort and/or cost (e.g., capture-mark-recapture or satellite telemetry). The isotopic compositions...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Frontiers Media S.A.
2020-07-01
|
| Series: | Frontiers in Marine Science |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fmars.2020.00596/full |
| _version_ | 1818307843430809600 |
|---|---|
| author | Ryan M. Pearson Jason P. van de Merwe Michael K. Gagan Michael K. Gagan Rod M. Connolly |
| author_facet | Ryan M. Pearson Jason P. van de Merwe Michael K. Gagan Michael K. Gagan Rod M. Connolly |
| author_sort | Ryan M. Pearson |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Many ecological investigations rely on understanding the movement of animals through marine environments. Most available tracking techniques are invasive (e.g., tissue sampling) and require extensive effort and/or cost (e.g., capture-mark-recapture or satellite telemetry). The isotopic compositions of barnacle shells (δ13C and δ18O) are known to record the ambient water temperature and salinity conditions in which they grew. Thus, isotopic analysis of “hitchhiking” barnacles on animals or objects has the potential to yield information about their movement between water bodies of varying isotopic properties. We present, for the first time, isotopic data for barnacle shell samples that grew on a satellite-tracked sea turtle host. The satellite telemetry record, together with documented barnacle growth rates, allowed for sequential samples from individual barnacle shells to be assigned a specific time and location for direct comparison of isotope values to environmental conditions. We developed models that allow barnacle shell δ13C and δ18O to be linked, with a high degree of predictability, to sea surface temperature (SST) and salinity (SSS). Our sea turtle case study demonstrated how these models can be used to create isoscapes, allowing hosts to be tracked in space and time at higher resolution than most attempts to use soft-tissue isotopes for a similar purpose, and at considerably lower cost than satellite telemetry. The conceptual advance presented here could be applied widely to understand the movement of any animal or object that carries hitchhiking barnacles. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-13T07:04:49Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-b227567d5df34164be41540e6c012aa1 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2296-7745 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-13T07:04:49Z |
| publishDate | 2020-07-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Marine Science |
| spelling | doaj.art-b227567d5df34164be41540e6c012aa12022-12-21T23:55:51ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Marine Science2296-77452020-07-01710.3389/fmars.2020.00596528834Unique Post-telemetry Recapture Enables Development of Multi-Element Isoscapes From Barnacle Shell for Retracing Host MovementRyan M. Pearson0Jason P. van de Merwe1Michael K. Gagan2Michael K. Gagan3Rod M. Connolly4Australian Rivers Institute – Coast and Estuaries, School of Environment and Science, Griffith University, Gold Coast, QLD, AustraliaAustralian Rivers Institute – Coast and Estuaries, School of Environment and Science, Griffith University, Gold Coast, QLD, AustraliaSchool of Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, AustraliaResearch School of Earth Sciences, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, AustraliaAustralian Rivers Institute – Coast and Estuaries, School of Environment and Science, Griffith University, Gold Coast, QLD, AustraliaMany ecological investigations rely on understanding the movement of animals through marine environments. Most available tracking techniques are invasive (e.g., tissue sampling) and require extensive effort and/or cost (e.g., capture-mark-recapture or satellite telemetry). The isotopic compositions of barnacle shells (δ13C and δ18O) are known to record the ambient water temperature and salinity conditions in which they grew. Thus, isotopic analysis of “hitchhiking” barnacles on animals or objects has the potential to yield information about their movement between water bodies of varying isotopic properties. We present, for the first time, isotopic data for barnacle shell samples that grew on a satellite-tracked sea turtle host. The satellite telemetry record, together with documented barnacle growth rates, allowed for sequential samples from individual barnacle shells to be assigned a specific time and location for direct comparison of isotope values to environmental conditions. We developed models that allow barnacle shell δ13C and δ18O to be linked, with a high degree of predictability, to sea surface temperature (SST) and salinity (SSS). Our sea turtle case study demonstrated how these models can be used to create isoscapes, allowing hosts to be tracked in space and time at higher resolution than most attempts to use soft-tissue isotopes for a similar purpose, and at considerably lower cost than satellite telemetry. The conceptual advance presented here could be applied widely to understand the movement of any animal or object that carries hitchhiking barnacles.https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fmars.2020.00596/fullChelonibiacirripediaconservationisotopemigrationmovement |
| spellingShingle | Ryan M. Pearson Jason P. van de Merwe Michael K. Gagan Michael K. Gagan Rod M. Connolly Unique Post-telemetry Recapture Enables Development of Multi-Element Isoscapes From Barnacle Shell for Retracing Host Movement Frontiers in Marine Science Chelonibia cirripedia conservation isotope migration movement |
| title | Unique Post-telemetry Recapture Enables Development of Multi-Element Isoscapes From Barnacle Shell for Retracing Host Movement |
| title_full | Unique Post-telemetry Recapture Enables Development of Multi-Element Isoscapes From Barnacle Shell for Retracing Host Movement |
| title_fullStr | Unique Post-telemetry Recapture Enables Development of Multi-Element Isoscapes From Barnacle Shell for Retracing Host Movement |
| title_full_unstemmed | Unique Post-telemetry Recapture Enables Development of Multi-Element Isoscapes From Barnacle Shell for Retracing Host Movement |
| title_short | Unique Post-telemetry Recapture Enables Development of Multi-Element Isoscapes From Barnacle Shell for Retracing Host Movement |
| title_sort | unique post telemetry recapture enables development of multi element isoscapes from barnacle shell for retracing host movement |
| topic | Chelonibia cirripedia conservation isotope migration movement |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fmars.2020.00596/full |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT ryanmpearson uniqueposttelemetryrecaptureenablesdevelopmentofmultielementisoscapesfrombarnacleshellforretracinghostmovement AT jasonpvandemerwe uniqueposttelemetryrecaptureenablesdevelopmentofmultielementisoscapesfrombarnacleshellforretracinghostmovement AT michaelkgagan uniqueposttelemetryrecaptureenablesdevelopmentofmultielementisoscapesfrombarnacleshellforretracinghostmovement AT michaelkgagan uniqueposttelemetryrecaptureenablesdevelopmentofmultielementisoscapesfrombarnacleshellforretracinghostmovement AT rodmconnolly uniqueposttelemetryrecaptureenablesdevelopmentofmultielementisoscapesfrombarnacleshellforretracinghostmovement |