Murray State University
The Comparison of Nitrogen Amounts and Levels of Lepomis Machrochirus from Kentucky Lake and Ledbetter Stream via Stable Isotope Analysis
Institution
Murray State University
Faculty Advisor/ Mentor
George Kipphut
Abstract
It may be possible to determine what habitat an animal is living in by examining the food it consumes. This study examines the nitrogen and carbon contents in the muscle tissue of Blue Gill fish in Kentucky Lake Reservoir and Ledbetter Creek in western Kentucky. Previous research has shown that the ratios of nitrogen and carbon isotopes in fish and other animals vary depending on their food source. The ratios I am studying are 15N/14N and 13C/12C. Tissue samples will be taken from Blue Gill in both the Reservoir and Creek environments and analyzed with a mass spectrometer to determine the isotopic ratios. Preliminary data suggests that the Blue Gill caught in Ledbetter Creek may be spending a large amount of their time feeding within the Reservoir, which suggests that the Reservoir may be the habitat most important for Blue Gill foraging. Such results may lead to a better understand of how Blue Gill utilize both the Creek and Reservoir environments. These results may also help in determining how the Blue Gill fit into the food web structure for the two communities and how they interact with other organisms.
The Comparison of Nitrogen Amounts and Levels of Lepomis Machrochirus from Kentucky Lake and Ledbetter Stream via Stable Isotope Analysis
It may be possible to determine what habitat an animal is living in by examining the food it consumes. This study examines the nitrogen and carbon contents in the muscle tissue of Blue Gill fish in Kentucky Lake Reservoir and Ledbetter Creek in western Kentucky. Previous research has shown that the ratios of nitrogen and carbon isotopes in fish and other animals vary depending on their food source. The ratios I am studying are 15N/14N and 13C/12C. Tissue samples will be taken from Blue Gill in both the Reservoir and Creek environments and analyzed with a mass spectrometer to determine the isotopic ratios. Preliminary data suggests that the Blue Gill caught in Ledbetter Creek may be spending a large amount of their time feeding within the Reservoir, which suggests that the Reservoir may be the habitat most important for Blue Gill foraging. Such results may lead to a better understand of how Blue Gill utilize both the Creek and Reservoir environments. These results may also help in determining how the Blue Gill fit into the food web structure for the two communities and how they interact with other organisms.