http://lod.bco-dmo.org/id/dataset/908180
eng; USA
utf8
dataset
Highest level of data collection, from a common set of sensors or instrumentation, usually within the same research project
Biological and Chemical Oceanography Data Management Office (BCO-DMO)
Unavailable
508-289-2009
WHOI MS#36
Woods Hole
MA
02543
USA
info@bco-dmo.org
http://www.bco-dmo.org
Monday - Friday 8:00am - 5:00pm
For questions regarding this resource, please contact BCO-DMO via the email address provided.
pointOfContact
2023-09-12
ISO 19115-2 Geographic Information - Metadata - Part 2: Extensions for Imagery and Gridded Data
ISO 19115-2:2009(E)
RNA:DNA measurements for field-collected animals from the Gulf of Mexico Estuary near Port Aransas and Mud Island, Texas from 2020 to 2021
2023-09-12
publication
2023-09-12
revision
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI BCO-DMO)
2026-02-06
publication
https://doi.org/10.26008/1912/bco-dmo.908180.1
Lee A. Fuiman
University of Texas - Marine Science Institute
principalInvestigator
Parvathi Nair
University of Texas - Marine Science Institute
principalInvestigator
Biological and Chemical Oceanography Data Management Office (BCO-DMO)
Unavailable
508-289-2009
WHOI MS#36
Woods Hole
MA
02543
USA
info@bco-dmo.org
http://www.bco-dmo.org
Monday - Friday 8:00am - 5:00pm
For questions regarding this resource, please contact BCO-DMO via the email address provided.
publisher
Cite this dataset as: Fuiman, L. A., Nair, P. (2026) RNA:DNA measurements for field-collected animals from the Gulf of Mexico Estuary near Port Aransas and Mud Island, Texas from 2020 to 2021. Biological and Chemical Oceanography Data Management Office (BCO-DMO). (Version 1) Version Date 2023-09-12 [if applicable, indicate subset used]. doi:10.26008/1912/bco-dmo.908180.1 [access date]
Methods and Sampling: <p>Location:&nbsp;Gulf of Mexico Estuary near Port Aransas, Texas. FAML: pier at in Corpus Christi Channel, Port Aransas, TX, United States, Fisheries and Mariculture Laboratory of the University of Texas Marine Science Institute (lat. 27.8396111, lon. -97.0827222); MI: Mud Island in Aransas Bay, TX, United States (lat. 27.9362222, lon. -97.0217777)).</p>
<p>RNA:DNA ratios, which are indicators of animal condition, were measured for samples of egg consumers collected from the field as well as those used in laboratory experiments. Samples of small fishes were collected with cast nets or seines. Fishes were euthanized with lethal dose of MS-222. The euthanized fish were placed on ice and muscle plugs were collected. All samples were lyophilized and stored at -80°C until being processed for RNA:DNA analysis. The time between collection and analysis ranged from 15 to 444 days. Results of the analysis were reported as the ratio of RNA content to DNA content.</p>
<p>Measurements of RNA:DNA were made on individuals. DNA and RNA were measured using the ethidium bromide (EB) fluorometric technique (Westerman and Holt 1988) based on aliquots (10 µL) of homogenates. Calculations were based upon comparisons with DNA-EB and RNA-EB calibration curves from calf thymus DNA and yeast RNA (Type 111) standards. RNA:DNA ratios were normalized using a standardization factor based on the common RNA:DNA slope ratio procedure described by Caldarone et al. (2006). Results of the analysis were reported as the ratio of RNA content to DNA content. Measurements of RNA:DNA were unsuccessfully attempted for invertebrates.</p>
Funding provided by NSF Division of Ocean Sciences (NSF OCE) Award Number: OCE-2023618 Award URL: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/show-award?AWD_ID=2023618
completed
Lee A. Fuiman
University of Texas - Marine Science Institute
361-749-6795
University of Texas Marine Science Institute 750 Channel View Drive
Port Aransas
TX
78373
lee.fuiman@utexas.edu
pointOfContact
Parvathi Nair
University of Texas - Marine Science Institute
361-749-6795
University of Texas Marine Science Institute 750 Channel View Drive
Port Aransas
TX
78373
parvathinair@utexas.edu
pointOfContact
asNeeded
Dataset Version: 1
Unknown
Scientific_name
Common_name
Sample_ID
Site
lat
lon
Date_collected
Date_analyzed
Tissue
Primary_check
RNA_DNA
Gemini XPS
theme
None, User defined
species scientific name (binomial)
common_name
sample identification
site
latitude
longitude
date
sample description
quality flag
No BCO-DMO term
featureType
BCO-DMO Standard Parameters
Fluorometer
instrument
BCO-DMO Standard Instruments
otherRestrictions
otherRestrictions
Access Constraints: none. Use Constraints: Please follow guidelines at: http://www.bco-dmo.org/terms-use Distribution liability: Under no circumstances shall BCO-DMO be liable for any direct, incidental, special, consequential, indirect, or punitive damages that result from the use of, or the inability to use, the materials in this data submission. If you are dissatisfied with any materials in this data submission your sole and exclusive remedy is to discontinue use.
Counter-gradient Flow of Fatty Acids in Marine Food Webs Through Egg Boons
https://osprey.bco-dmo.org/project/817943
Counter-gradient Flow of Fatty Acids in Marine Food Webs Through Egg Boons
<p><strong>NSF Award Abstract:</strong><br />
<span style="font-size:14px"><span style="background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255)">Marine animals release extremely large numbers of eggs when they spawn. Most of these eggs are eaten by animals ranging from microscopic plankton to fish. Many egg consumers are smaller than the animals that released the eggs, representing a reversal of the usual food web. The consumption of eggs provides animals with highly nutritious molecules called essential fatty acids which are very concentrated in eggs. These essential fatty acids are important for the health of animals and the health of the whole ecosystem. When marine fishes form spawning aggregations to coordinate the timing and location of spawning, they release trillions of eggs. This results in an "egg boon" an immense but temporary concentration of highly nutritious fatty acids. This project combines field-based sampling with laboratory experiments to assess how fatty acids in the egg boons affect food webs. The project is determining whether consumption of eggs is beneficial to the condition of the egg consumers. New findings from this project are advancing the understanding of aquatic food webs and contributing to improved management of marine resources. For example, commercial harvest of fish can remove tons of fatty acids from an ecosystem by reducing egg boons and leading to cascading and unforeseen effects on those biological communities. The project is fostering the participation of women in science by substantially advancing the professional training of a female postdoctoral fellow. The project is supporting K-12 STEM education through inquiry-based and place-based programs for teachers and youth. Findings are being communicated to the public locally and nationally through participation in public lectures and contributions to the Science and the SeaTM radio program, podcast, and website.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255)">Super-abundances of eggs released in temporally and spatially discrete patches create pulsed nutritional resources for egg consumers, called "egg boons", which are potentially important components of marine food webs. While various marine animals have been shown to consume eggs, the role of egg boons in energy transfer through food webs has received little attention. Three hypotheses are being tested: 1) egg boons provide a pathway through which essential fatty acids (EFAs) are redistributed counter to the main direction of trophic flow; 2) stores of EFAs in egg consumers increase during egg boons and remain elevated after the spawning season; and 3) egg boons are beneficial to the condition of egg consumers. The proposed research takes advantage of an annual egg boon produced by a spawning aggregation of the marine fish, red drum (Sciaenops ocellatus) near Port Aransas, Texas. In a combination of field sampling and laboratory experiments, fatty acid profiles, lipid content, and bulk stable isotope ratios are measures used to define trophic links between the egg boon and a selection of lower-trophic-level taxa. Egg boons are simulated in laboratory feeding experiments that are designed to enhance interpretation of data collected from field based sampling by comparing taxa that consume fish eggs with those that do not. A nucleic acid biomarker (RNA/DNA ratios) is being used to assess changes in condition that can be attributed to egg consumption in target taxa. In the environment, the importance and persistence of counter-gradient flow of fatty acids in the food web is being gauged through comparisons of samples taken inside and outside the spatial and temporal extent of the egg boon. The effects of egg consumption on consumers is being quantified in controlled experiments to identify dietary biomarkers of egg consumption in consumer tissues that can be applied to field samples. The proposed research examines how egg consumption redistributes EFAs within food webs and provides a context for considering potential controls and trophic bottlenecks that cannot be explained from the traditional element-limitation models. The integration of fatty acid and stable isotope approaches is expected to provide greater resolution for tracking organic matter through food webs and to advance the application of multi-tracer techniques in trophic investigations. Further, if egg boons are indeed an important nutritional subsidy to select groups of consumers, then subsequent studies investigating the energetic contribution of egg boons to secondary production in marine food webs are warranted. An analysis of how reduction or removal of egg resources through the harvest of fishes in spawning aggregations changes nutrient flow in food webs could have implications for ecosystem-based fisheries management.</span></p>
Egg Boon Food Webs
largerWorkCitation
project
eng; USA
oceans
-97.0827
-97.0218
27.8396
27.9362
2020-07-04
2021-09-21
Gulf of Mexico estuary at Port Aransas, Texas
0
BCO-DMO catalogue of parameters from RNA:DNA measurements for field-collected animals from the Gulf of Mexico Estuary near Port Aransas and Mud Island, Texas from 2020 to 2021
Biological and Chemical Oceanography Data Management Office (BCO-DMO)
Unavailable
508-289-2009
WHOI MS#36
Woods Hole
MA
02543
USA
info@bco-dmo.org
http://www.bco-dmo.org
Monday - Friday 8:00am - 5:00pm
For questions regarding this resource, please contact BCO-DMO via the email address provided.
pointOfContact
http://lod.bco-dmo.org/id/dataset-parameter/916005.rdf
Name: Scientific_name
Units: unitless
Description: <p>Scientific name of sample</p>
http://lod.bco-dmo.org/id/dataset-parameter/916006.rdf
Name: Common_name
Units: unitless
Description: <p>Common name of sample</p>
http://lod.bco-dmo.org/id/dataset-parameter/916007.rdf
Name: Sample_ID
Units: unitless
Description: <p>Sample identifier for a taxon on a sampling date</p>
http://lod.bco-dmo.org/id/dataset-parameter/916008.rdf
Name: Site
Units: unitless
Description: <p>location where sample was collected (FAML: pier at in Corpus Christi Channel, Port Aransas, TX, United States, Fisheries and Mariculture Laboratory of the University of Texas Marine Science Institute.; MI: Mud Island in Aransas Bay, TX, United States.)</p>
http://lod.bco-dmo.org/id/dataset-parameter/916009.rdf
Name: lat
Units: decimal degrees
Description: <p>Site latitude</p>
http://lod.bco-dmo.org/id/dataset-parameter/916010.rdf
Name: lon
Units: decimal degrees
Description: <p>Site longitude</p>
http://lod.bco-dmo.org/id/dataset-parameter/916011.rdf
Name: Date_collected
Units: unitless
Description: <p>Date sample was collected. ISO 8601 format.</p>
http://lod.bco-dmo.org/id/dataset-parameter/916012.rdf
Name: Date_analyzed
Units: unitless
Description: <p>Date sample was analyzed. ISO 8601 format.</p>
http://lod.bco-dmo.org/id/dataset-parameter/916013.rdf
Name: Tissue
Units: unitless
Description: <p>Tissue sampled</p>
http://lod.bco-dmo.org/id/dataset-parameter/916014.rdf
Name: Primary_check
Units: unitless
Description: <p>QC check</p>
http://lod.bco-dmo.org/id/dataset-parameter/916015.rdf
Name: RNA_DNA
Units: unitless
Description: <p>Ratio of RNA to DNA in sample</p>
GB/NERC/BODC > British Oceanographic Data Centre, Natural Environment Research Council, United Kingdom
Biological and Chemical Oceanography Data Management Office (BCO-DMO)
Unavailable
508-289-2009
WHOI MS#36
Woods Hole
MA
02543
USA
info@bco-dmo.org
http://www.bco-dmo.org
Monday - Friday 8:00am - 5:00pm
For questions regarding this resource, please contact BCO-DMO via the email address provided.
pointOfContact
https://doi.org/10.26008/1912/bco-dmo.908180.1
download
onLine
dataset
<p>Location:&nbsp;Gulf of Mexico Estuary near Port Aransas, Texas. FAML: pier at in Corpus Christi Channel, Port Aransas, TX, United States, Fisheries and Mariculture Laboratory of the University of Texas Marine Science Institute (lat. 27.8396111, lon. -97.0827222); MI: Mud Island in Aransas Bay, TX, United States (lat. 27.9362222, lon. -97.0217777)).</p>
<p>RNA:DNA ratios, which are indicators of animal condition, were measured for samples of egg consumers collected from the field as well as those used in laboratory experiments. Samples of small fishes were collected with cast nets or seines. Fishes were euthanized with lethal dose of MS-222. The euthanized fish were placed on ice and muscle plugs were collected. All samples were lyophilized and stored at -80°C until being processed for RNA:DNA analysis. The time between collection and analysis ranged from 15 to 444 days. Results of the analysis were reported as the ratio of RNA content to DNA content.</p>
<p>Measurements of RNA:DNA were made on individuals. DNA and RNA were measured using the ethidium bromide (EB) fluorometric technique (Westerman and Holt 1988) based on aliquots (10 µL) of homogenates. Calculations were based upon comparisons with DNA-EB and RNA-EB calibration curves from calf thymus DNA and yeast RNA (Type 111) standards. RNA:DNA ratios were normalized using a standardization factor based on the common RNA:DNA slope ratio procedure described by Caldarone et al. (2006). Results of the analysis were reported as the ratio of RNA content to DNA content. Measurements of RNA:DNA were unsuccessfully attempted for invertebrates.</p>
Specified by the Principal Investigator(s)
<p>The microplate fluorometer is operated using SoftMax Pro version 5.4 also by Molecular Devices. Raw data were exported to Microsoft Excel for further processing.<br />
<br />
Quality control procedure:</p>
<p>Individual samples for which the means were greater than 3 standard deviations from the taxon mean were removed from the data set.</p>
<div>A primary check value was assigned as follows:</div>
<div>1 Perfectly fine</div>
<div>2 Data not evaluated because of too few data points for quality control check</div>
Specified by the Principal Investigator(s)
BCO-DMO Data Manager Processing Notes:
* Sheet 1 of file "RNA DNA field data.xlsx" (submitted in our online submission system 2023-06-23) was imported into the BCO-DMO data system with values "NA" as missing data values.
** Missing data values are displayed differently based on the file format you download. They are blank in csv files, "NaN" in MatLab files, etc.
* Column names adjusted to conform to BCO-DMO naming conventions designed to support broad re-use by a variety of research tools and scripting languages. [Only numbers, letters, and underscores. Can not start with a number]
* Taxon name and associated LSID for names in this dataset as of 2023-06-23 (source: World Register of Marine Species). Added this list to Methods and Sampling section.
* Date formats converted to ISO 8601.
* Site lat and lon added as data columns from values provided in metadata.
After correspondence with the submitter, "Spotfin mojarro, Eucinostomus melanopterus " in this dataset was updated to "Spotfin mojarra, Eucinostomus argenteus"
Specified by BCO-DMO Data Managers
asNeeded
7.x-1.1
Biological and Chemical Oceanography Data Management Office (BCO-DMO)
Unavailable
508-289-2009
WHOI MS#36
Woods Hole
MA
02543
USA
info@bco-dmo.org
http://www.bco-dmo.org
Monday - Friday 8:00am - 5:00pm
For questions regarding this resource, please contact BCO-DMO via the email address provided.
pointOfContact
Gemini XPS
Gemini XPS
PI Supplied Instrument Name: Gemini XPS PI Supplied Instrument Description:Microplate fluorometer (Molecular Devices, model Gemini XPS). The microplate fluorometer is operated using SoftMax Pro version 5.4 also by Molecular Devices. Instrument Name: Fluorometer Instrument Short Name:Fluorometer Instrument Description: A fluorometer or fluorimeter is a device used to measure parameters of fluorescence: its intensity and wavelength distribution of emission spectrum after excitation by a certain spectrum of light. The instrument is designed to measure the amount of stimulated electromagnetic radiation produced by pulses of electromagnetic radiation emitted into a water sample or in situ. Community Standard Description: http://vocab.nerc.ac.uk/collection/L05/current/113/