Author Type

Graduate Student

Date of Award

2020

Document Type

Thesis

Publication Status

Version of Record

Submission Date

October 2026

Thesis/Dissertation Advisor [Chair]

Baldwin, John

Abstract

Stable isotope analysis is a powerful tool that can be used to describe a population’s foraging niche by identifying basal resource use, trophic feeding levels, environmental stability, seasonal ecological variation, important shifts in life history, ontogenetic shifts, intraspecific habitat use, and population dynamics. Describing these relationships in endangered marine turtle populations and their critical foraging grounds is essential for determining informed management decisions. This study systematically describes the foraging niche of hawksbills Eretmochelys imbricata, and green turtles, Chelonia mydas in Buck Island Reef National Monument, U.S. Virgin Islands, a critical habitat for nesting and foraging. It assesses the relationships within and between the species in terms of overlap, annual and seasonal variation, and life history and feeding strategies within the community. Most importantly it describes these relationships with metrics that can be used in global comparisons or to measure change in local conditions.

Extent

98 p.

Comments

Includes bibliography.|Thesis (M.S.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2020.|FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection|Includes bibliography.

Identifier

FA00013456

Format

pdf

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