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TL PhD Comprehensive Exam
  • Introduction
  • Tasklist
  • 1. Basics
    • 1.1 Basic Biology Review
    • 1.2 Basic Genetics Review
    • 1.3 Light & Photosynthesis
  • 2. Coral Biology
    • 2.1 Basic Coral Biology
      • 2.1a Food Webs
    • 2.2 Reef Structure
    • 2.3 Growth & Reproduction
    • 2.4 Morphology
    • 2.5 Physiology
    • 2.6 Mixotrophy & Energy
    • 2.7 Symbiosis
    • 2.8 Reef Mortality
      • 2.8a Conservation
  • 3. Ecology & Evolution
    • 3.1 Evolution & Plasticity
    • 3.2 General Ecology
    • 3.3 Species
    • 3.4 Cryptic Species
  • 4. Isotopes
    • 4.1 Isotope Basics
      • 4.1a Instrumentation & methodology
      • 4.1b Environmental O & H
      • 4.1c Environmental C and N
      • 4.1d Organismal Isotopes
    • 4.2 Fractionation in Corals
    • 4.3 Trophic Niche Analysis
    • 4.4 CSIA
      • 4.4a C: Essential vs. Nonessential
      • 4.4b N: Trophic vs. Source
  • 5. Other
    • 5.1 Science & Society
    • 5.2 Stats
  • 6. Summary & Resources
    • 6.1 Glossary
    • 6.2 Resources
    • 6.3 Questions From Exam
    • 6.4 Recommendations & Reflections
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  1. 4. Isotopes

4.2 Fractionation in Corals

Last updated 1 year ago

Expected values from (Ferrier-Pages et al. 2018)

  • Algae and phytoplankton δ13C −20‰ to −18‰

  • δ13C enriched 0.4‰ to 1‰ between each trophic level

  • host and symbionts display similar δ13C values -11‰ to −16‰

  • shallow corals have more positive values δ13C −10‰ to −14‰

  • Shallow POM δ13C -20‰

  • δ15N value of a consumer is enriched by 2.3‰–3.4‰ from diet

  • δ15N fractionation in carnivores is usually 3.2‰ ± 0.4‰

  • δ15N fractionation from plants to herbivores 2.5‰ ± 2.5‰

Tissue Turnover Rates

Tanaka 2018

Authors used N and C tracers to determine the turnover rates of symbionts and corals. They found that N turnover was 370 days in the symbionts and 56 days in the host. They also developed detailed energy flow models:

Tanaka 2006

Used labeled isotopes to calculate turnover rates:

  • N host turnover - 210 days

  • N sym turnover - 13 days

  • C host turnover - 18 days

  • C sym turnover - 8.2 days

* see Rangel et al. 2019 if needed