College
Buchtel College of Arts and Sciences (BCAS)
Date of Last Revision
2023-05-03 23:31:06
Major
Biology
Honors Course
3100:499
Number of Credits
2
Degree Name
Bachelor of Science
Date of Expected Graduation
Spring 2020
Abstract
Seabird behavior and diet is important to study in order to determine where to focus conservation efforts in a rapidly changing climate. A primary aim of my project is to understand how brown booby family members from a breeding colony on Islas Marietas, Mexico relate to each other isotopically and in terms of their diet. Comparing the family units (mother, father, and chick from the same nest) of these seabirds and sex trends overall will help develop the big picture to determine the best conservation efforts for this species. I also aim to improve our ability to compare seabird plasma samples that were prepared for isotope analysis in different ways. For this experiment, I compared lipid-extracted and non-lipid-extracted plasma samples from the same individuals in order to calculate a correction curve for d13C values. This equation can be used in the future instead of Soxhlet extraction to save time and expense.
Research Sponsor
Anne Wiley
First Reader
Leah Shriver
Second Reader
Steve Weeks
Honors Faculty Advisor
Brian Bagatto
Recommended Citation
Taylor, Erin, "Brown Booby Family Units: Comparing Mothers, Fathers, and Chicks through Stable Isotopes" (2020). Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects. 1073.
https://ideaexchange.uakron.edu/honors_research_projects/1073