Dear all, We are pleased to announce the publication of the following paper in "Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology":
Giménez, J., Ramírez, F., Almunia, J., Forero, M. G., de Stephanis, R. (2016) From the pool to the sea: Applicable isotope turnover rates and diet to skin discrimination factors for bottlenose dolphins (*Tursiops truncatus*). Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 475:54-61. *Abstract:*One of the most common applications in isotopic ecology is the assessment of animal's assimilated diet through mass-balance mixing models. Its applicability relies on the use of accurate diet to tissue discrimination factors and turnover rates, which are known to vary as a function of several factors including taxon or tissue type. To date, few studies have assessed isotopic discrimination factors and turnover rates in cetacean species under controlled conditions. Previous experimental studies focused on blood, a difficult sample to obtain in the wild, or on a more appropriate tissue, the skin, but assessed in short experimental trials without arriving to the isotopic equilibrium. We carried out the longest controlled feeding experiment available (350 days) in bottlenose dolphins (*Tursiops truncatus*) in order to assess discrimination factors and turnover rates in skin. Animals' isotopic composition was first stabilized by maintaining individuals under an isotopically constant diet during 172 days. Afterwards, diet was shifted and maintained during 178 days to calculate isotopic discrimination and turnover rates. Estimates for isotopic discrimination factors were 1.01 ± 0.37‰ (mean ± sd) for *δ*13C and 1.57 ± 0.52‰ for *δ*15N. Half-life turnover rates were estimated to be 24.16 ± 8.19 days for carbon and 47.63 ± 19 days for nitrogen. This is the first time that applicable values are available to assess the diet of free ranging small cetaceans through stable isotope mixing model analysis. You can download the paper in: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022098115300514 or visit my ResearchGate (https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Joan_Gimenez2) Kind Regards, Joan Giménez -- *Joan Giménez Verdugo* *PhD Student* *Severo Ochoa* Estación Biológica de Doñana (EBD-CSIC) Department of Conservation Biology Americo Vespucio Ave, s/n 41092 Sevilla (Spain) www.ebd.csic.es --- Research Gate: Joan Giménez <https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Joan_Gimenez2> Phone: +34 619 176 849 ü Please consider the environment before printing this E-mail
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