Ecological niche segregation among five toothed whale species off the NW Iberian Peninsula using ecological tracers as multi-approach

• Published in: Marine biology Vol. 160; no. 11; pp. 2825 - 2840
• Main Authors: Méndez-Fernandez, Paula, Pierce, Graham J., Bustamante, Paco, Chouvelon, Tiphaine, Ferreira, Marisa, González, Angel F., López, Alfredo, Read, Fiona L., Santos, M. Begoña, Spitz, Jérôme, Vingada, José V., Caurant, Florence
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer Berlin Heidelberg 01.11.2013; Springer; Springer Nature B.V; Springer Verlag
• Subjects: Animal and plant ecology; Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Aquatic mammals; Biological and medical sciences; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Cadmium; Cetacea; Distribution; Dolphins & porpoises; Ecology, environment; Freshwater & Marine Ecology; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Globicephala; Habitats; Harbors; Life Sciences; Mammalia; Marine; Marine & Freshwater Sciences; Marine biology; Marine ecology; Marine mammals; Microbiology; Niches; Niches (Ecology); Oceanography; Original Paper; Sea water ecosystems; Stable isotopes; Synecology; Toothed whales; Tracers; Trophic levels; Vertebrates: general zoology, morphology, phylogeny, systematics, cytogenetics, geographical distribution; Whales; Whales & whaling; Zoology; Iberian Peninsula; Southern Europe; Europe; Spain; ANE, Europe, Iberian Peninsula; Bottlenose Dolphin; Harbour Porpoise; Common Dolphin; Trophic Position; Stomach Content Analysis; Ecological segregation; Vertebrata; Mammalia; Cetacea; Isotope labelling; Ecological niche
• ISSN: 0025-3162; 1432-1793
• DOI: 10.1007/s00227-013-2274-9

This study aims to assess niche segregation among the five main toothed whales that frequent the NW Iberian Peninsula waters: the common dolphin, the harbour porpoise, the bottlenose dolphin, the striped dolphin and the long-finned pilot whale. We used cadmium (Cd) and stable isotope ratios (δ 13 C and δ 15 N) as ecological tracers to assess degree of segregation in diet/trophic level and in foraging habitat, over various time-scales. δ 13 C values highlighted different habitats, while Cd concentrations highlighted feeding differences between oceanic and neritic species. Moreover, δ 15 N values suggest different trophic levels of prey targeted within oceanic and neritic species. Hence, results revealed long-term ecological segregation among five toothed whales that coexist in the NWIP and demonstrated the ability of ecological tracers to discriminate ecological niches among closely related species.