Recent efforts to mitigate environmental issues within the Southern Branch of the Elizabeth River, Virginia, designated a “Region of Concern” by the Chesapeake Bay Program, include several salt marsh restorations. By examining gut contents and stable isotopes values (δ13C and δ15N) from mummichogs (Fundulus heteroclitus), the functional equivalency of restored salt marshes compared to natural marshes was measured. In July 2013 I collected mummichogs from three restored and three reference salt marshes in the Southern Branch. Fish were collected for gut content analysis and were analyzed for stable isotopes (δ13C and δ15N).
I removed gut contents from 16 fish per site to measure gut fullness and identify diet composition. Muscle and liver tissue were removed from additional fish and prepared for stable isotope analysis at UC Davis. The diet composition of the restored salt marsh sites included blue-green algae as a major diet item, which was not the case in the reference marshes. The average δ13C values were higher from the restored salt marshes and the average δ15N values were similar between treatments. The diet composition and stable isotope analysis indicate that many of the same food items were found at the restored marshes as the reference marshes, but the restored marshes had not reached the same functional level as the reference marshes.
","abstract_html":"<p>Recent efforts to mitigate environmental issues within the Southern Branch of the Elizabeth River, Virginia, designated a “Region of Concern” by the Chesapeake Bay Program, include several salt marsh restorations. By examining gut contents and stable isotopes values (δ13C and δ15N) from mummichogs (Fundulus heteroclitus), the functional equivalency of restored salt marshes compared to natural marshes was measured. In July 2013 I collected mummichogs from three restored and three reference salt marshes in the Southern Branch. Fish were collected for gut content analysis and were analyzed for stable isotopes (δ13C and δ15N).</p> <p>I removed gut contents from 16 fish per site to measure gut fullness and identify diet composition. Muscle and liver tissue were removed from additional fish and prepared for stable isotope analysis at UC Davis. The diet composition of the restored salt marsh sites included blue-green algae as a major diet item, which was not the case in the reference marshes. The average δ13C values were higher from the restored salt marshes and the average δ15N values were similar between treatments. The diet composition and stable isotope analysis indicate that many of the same food items were found at the restored marshes as the reference marshes, but the restored marshes had not reached the same functional level as the reference marshes.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Good, Moriah Anne"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"Master of Science (MS)","degree_level":"Thesis","degree_discipline":"Biological Sciences","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Daniel M. Dauer","Jessica S. Thompson","G. Richard Whittecar"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2016,"date_issued":"2016-04-01T07:00:00Z","date_published":"2016-04-01T07:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T03:33:54Z","subjects":["Cyanobacteria","Fundulus heteroclitus","Mummichogs","Restoration","Salt marsh","Biology","Ecology and Evolutionary Biology","Environmental Sciences"],"languages":[],"rights":["In Copyright. URI: http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/ This Item is protected by copyright and/or related rights. You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s).
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I removed gut contents from 16 fish per site to measure gut fullness and identify diet composition. Muscle and liver tissue were removed from additional fish and prepared for stable isotope analysis at UC Davis. The diet composition of the restored salt marsh sites included blue-green algae as a major diet item, which was not the case in the reference marshes. The average δ13C values were higher from the restored salt marshes and the average δ15N values were similar between treatments. The diet composition and stable isotope analysis indicate that many of the same food items were found at the restored marshes as the reference marshes, but the restored marshes had not reached the same functional level as the reference marshes.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Naturalization of Salt Marsh Restoration Sites in the Elizabeth River, Virginia, Assessed by Feeding Activity and Trophic Level of Mummichogs (Fundulus Heteroclitus)"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Daniel M. Dauer","Jessica S. Thompson","G. Richard Whittecar"],"dc:creator":["Good, Moriah Anne"],"dc:date.available":["2016-07-18T07:00:00Z"],"dc:description.abstract":["Recent efforts to mitigate environmental issues within the Southern Branch of the Elizabeth River, Virginia, designated a “Region of Concern” by the Chesapeake Bay Program, include several salt marsh restorations. By examining gut contents and stable isotopes values (δ13C and δ15N) from mummichogs (Fundulus heteroclitus), the functional equivalency of restored salt marshes compared to natural marshes was measured. In July 2013 I collected mummichogs from three restored and three reference salt marshes in the Southern Branch. Fish were collected for gut content analysis and were analyzed for stable isotopes (δ13C and δ15N).
I removed gut contents from 16 fish per site to measure gut fullness and identify diet composition. Muscle and liver tissue were removed from additional fish and prepared for stable isotope analysis at UC Davis. The diet composition of the restored salt marsh sites included blue-green algae as a major diet item, which was not the case in the reference marshes. The average δ13C values were higher from the restored salt marshes and the average δ15N values were similar between treatments. The diet composition and stable isotope analysis indicate that many of the same food items were found at the restored marshes as the reference marshes, but the restored marshes had not reached the same functional level as the reference marshes.
"],"dc:identifier":["9781339787855","https://digitalcommons.odu.edu/biology_etds/8"],"dc:rights":["In Copyright. URI: http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/ This Item is protected by copyright and/or related rights. You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s).
"],"dc:subject":["Cyanobacteria","Fundulus heteroclitus","Mummichogs","Restoration","Salt marsh","Biology","Ecology and Evolutionary Biology","Environmental Sciences"],"dc:title":["Naturalization of Salt Marsh Restoration Sites in the Elizabeth River, Virginia, Assessed by Feeding Activity and Trophic Level of Mummichogs (Fundulus Heteroclitus)"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Biological Sciences"],"thesis:degree_level":["Thesis"],"thesis:degree_name":["Master of Science (MS)"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T03:33:54Z"}