Abstract
A dual isotope approach was used to assess the relative importance of terrestrial vegetation detritus and other primary producers in the trophic web of Flamengo Sound (Ubatuba, SP), SE Brazil, surrounded by the Atlantic Rain Forest. Primary producers showed distinct \(\delta^{13}\)C signatures and the observed values suggest that little terrestrial \((-29.4\pm0.3\permille)\) or bulk sediment organic matter \((-21.1\pm1.3\permille)\) enter the food web of the sound. Suspended particulate organic matter (POM, \(-18.6\pm0.5\permille)\) supports the bulk of the consumers, with some contribution by macroalgae \((-15.6\pm1.8\permille)\). Consumers \(\delta^{13}\)C values ranged from −17.4 to \(-12.7\permille\). At least three trophic levels were detectable in the food web. The \(\delta^{15}\)N value of POM was \(7.5\pm1.0\permille\), while that of sediment and detritus was \(6.4\pm0.7\permille\). The \(\delta^{15}\)N values of suspension feeding benthic invertebrates were 8.2–\(8.6\permille\), deposit feeders 8.3–\(10.2\permille\), and carnivores 10.7–\(13.2\permille\). Values for fishes were \(9.4\permille\) for detritivore, 11.4–\(13.3\permille\) for benthic feeders, 12.4–\(13.3\permille\) for zooplanktivores, and \(13.2\permille\) for piscivores/benthic invertebrate feeders. Squid mean value was \(12.8\pm0.5\permille\). There is a reasonable agreement between feeding habits information from the literature and \(\delta^{15}\)N values from this study. In the sound, the first and second trophic steps seem to be about 1–\(3\permille\) higher than those of similar organisms studied in temperate waters and this may reflect an input of allochtonous anthropogenic nitrogen enriched in 15N from human activities.
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Acknowledgements
This work was developed during the Marine Ecological Processes Course, given by I. Valiela and J. McClelland, at the Instituto Oceanográfico, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil, in 1999. We thank Eurico Cabral de Oliveira for the identification of the macroalgae, Maysa Pompeu for their assistance in collecting POM samples, and everyone at the Ubatuba Marine Station of the Instituto Oceanográfico, for help in the field work. We wish to thank two anonymous reviewers for their helpful comments.
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Corbisier, T., Soares, L., Petti, M. et al. Use of isotopic signatures to assess the food web in a tropical shallow marine ecosystem of Southeastern Brazil. Aquat Ecol 40, 381–390 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10452-006-9033-7
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10452-006-9033-7