Stable isotope (δ13C and δ15N) analysis as a tool to quantify the food web structure in seagrass area of Pulai River estuary, Johor, Peninsular Malaysia
Diversity of seagrass bed areas is high, but little has been done to demonstrate the complexity of its food web structure. Hence, the present study developed a preliminary food web structure in a seagrass area at the Sungai Pulai estuary, Johor, Peninsular Malaysia. Bulk stable isotope analysis was...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Malaysian Nature Society
2016
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| Online Access: | http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/53878/ http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/53878/1/Stable%20isotope%20%28%CE%B413C%20and%20%CE%B415N%29%20analysis%20as%20a%20tool%20to%20quantify%20the%20food%20web%20structure%20.pdf |
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| author | Mukhtar, Aqilah Zulkifli, Syaizwan Zahmir Mohamat Yusuff, Ferdaus Ismail, Ahmad Miyazaki, Nobuyuki |
| author_facet | Mukhtar, Aqilah Zulkifli, Syaizwan Zahmir Mohamat Yusuff, Ferdaus Ismail, Ahmad Miyazaki, Nobuyuki |
| author_sort | Mukhtar, Aqilah |
| building | UPM Institutional Repository |
| collection | Online Access |
| description | Diversity of seagrass bed areas is high, but little has been done to demonstrate the complexity of its food web structure. Hence, the present study developed a preliminary food web structure in a seagrass area at the Sungai Pulai estuary, Johor, Peninsular Malaysia. Bulk stable isotope analysis was employed to determine δ13C and δ15N stable isotope ratios in tissues of various biotas collected from within the designated seagrass area via Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometry (IRMS). The results showed that the δ13C and δ15N ratios from the collected samples ranged between -21.0 and -8.0‰, as well as 18.0 and 2.0‰, respectively. The smooth sea cucumber was applied as the reference baseline to calculate the trophic level of other organisms. Meanwhile, the width range of δ13C values within the primary producer revealed three different food sources on the seagrass bed in the construct of the food web structure. The producers were phytoplankton, Ulva sp., Enhalus acoroides, Halophila ovalis and Halophila spinulosa. As a result, consumers in trophic level (TL) 2 was discovered to range between 2.2 and 2.9, suggesting herbivorous species, whereas the organisms in TL 3 and TL 4 had values that ranged from 3.4 to 3.9 and from 4.0 to 4.9, which indicated omnivorous and carnivorous species, respectively. Apart from that, the majority (70%) of the benthic organisms were above the group of reference baseline between TL 2.2 and 5.2. |
| first_indexed | 2025-11-15T10:37:28Z |
| format | Article |
| id | upm-53878 |
| institution | Universiti Putra Malaysia |
| institution_category | Local University |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2025-11-15T10:37:28Z |
| publishDate | 2016 |
| publisher | Malaysian Nature Society |
| recordtype | eprints |
| repository_type | Digital Repository |
| spelling | upm-538782018-02-19T08:06:15Z http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/53878/ Stable isotope (δ13C and δ15N) analysis as a tool to quantify the food web structure in seagrass area of Pulai River estuary, Johor, Peninsular Malaysia Mukhtar, Aqilah Zulkifli, Syaizwan Zahmir Mohamat Yusuff, Ferdaus Ismail, Ahmad Miyazaki, Nobuyuki Diversity of seagrass bed areas is high, but little has been done to demonstrate the complexity of its food web structure. Hence, the present study developed a preliminary food web structure in a seagrass area at the Sungai Pulai estuary, Johor, Peninsular Malaysia. Bulk stable isotope analysis was employed to determine δ13C and δ15N stable isotope ratios in tissues of various biotas collected from within the designated seagrass area via Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometry (IRMS). The results showed that the δ13C and δ15N ratios from the collected samples ranged between -21.0 and -8.0‰, as well as 18.0 and 2.0‰, respectively. The smooth sea cucumber was applied as the reference baseline to calculate the trophic level of other organisms. Meanwhile, the width range of δ13C values within the primary producer revealed three different food sources on the seagrass bed in the construct of the food web structure. The producers were phytoplankton, Ulva sp., Enhalus acoroides, Halophila ovalis and Halophila spinulosa. As a result, consumers in trophic level (TL) 2 was discovered to range between 2.2 and 2.9, suggesting herbivorous species, whereas the organisms in TL 3 and TL 4 had values that ranged from 3.4 to 3.9 and from 4.0 to 4.9, which indicated omnivorous and carnivorous species, respectively. Apart from that, the majority (70%) of the benthic organisms were above the group of reference baseline between TL 2.2 and 5.2. Malaysian Nature Society 2016 Article NonPeerReviewed text en http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/53878/1/Stable%20isotope%20%28%CE%B413C%20and%20%CE%B415N%29%20analysis%20as%20a%20tool%20to%20quantify%20the%20food%20web%20structure%20.pdf Mukhtar, Aqilah and Zulkifli, Syaizwan Zahmir and Mohamat Yusuff, Ferdaus and Ismail, Ahmad and Miyazaki, Nobuyuki (2016) Stable isotope (δ13C and δ15N) analysis as a tool to quantify the food web structure in seagrass area of Pulai River estuary, Johor, Peninsular Malaysia. Malayan Nature Journal, 68 (1 & 2). pp. 91-102. ISSN 0025-1291 http://www.mnj.my/index.php/mnj/article/view/270 Stable isotopes; Food web; Pulai river estuary |
| spellingShingle | Stable isotopes; Food web; Pulai river estuary Mukhtar, Aqilah Zulkifli, Syaizwan Zahmir Mohamat Yusuff, Ferdaus Ismail, Ahmad Miyazaki, Nobuyuki Stable isotope (δ13C and δ15N) analysis as a tool to quantify the food web structure in seagrass area of Pulai River estuary, Johor, Peninsular Malaysia |
| title | Stable isotope (δ13C and δ15N) analysis as a tool to quantify the food web structure in seagrass area of Pulai River estuary, Johor, Peninsular Malaysia |
| title_full | Stable isotope (δ13C and δ15N) analysis as a tool to quantify the food web structure in seagrass area of Pulai River estuary, Johor, Peninsular Malaysia |
| title_fullStr | Stable isotope (δ13C and δ15N) analysis as a tool to quantify the food web structure in seagrass area of Pulai River estuary, Johor, Peninsular Malaysia |
| title_full_unstemmed | Stable isotope (δ13C and δ15N) analysis as a tool to quantify the food web structure in seagrass area of Pulai River estuary, Johor, Peninsular Malaysia |
| title_short | Stable isotope (δ13C and δ15N) analysis as a tool to quantify the food web structure in seagrass area of Pulai River estuary, Johor, Peninsular Malaysia |
| title_sort | stable isotope (δ13c and δ15n) analysis as a tool to quantify the food web structure in seagrass area of pulai river estuary, johor, peninsular malaysia |
| topic | Stable isotopes; Food web; Pulai river estuary |
| url | http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/53878/ http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/53878/ http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/53878/1/Stable%20isotope%20%28%CE%B413C%20and%20%CE%B415N%29%20analysis%20as%20a%20tool%20to%20quantify%20the%20food%20web%20structure%20.pdf |