Analysis of Feeding Behavior in Seagulls Using Diet and Microbiota Metabarcoding

It is known that Larus gull species have adapted to urbanization due to their generalist feeding behavior, and this provides useful opportunities to examine how urbanization affects foraging behavior and the microbiota associated with feeding. In this context, this preliminary study will reveal, for the first time, how the dietary content and microbiota of silver gulls ( Larus michahellis ) living under the influence of different levels of urbanization (low-medium-dense population, building density, and human interaction) in Istanbul have changed using eDNA metabarcoding. Fecal samples will be collected from three selected locations based on the level of urbanization, eDNA extractions will be performed, and genus/species level matching will be carried out via 16S and 18S amplicons using metabarcoding. For this purpose, a work plan has been created by the project leader and consultant to carry out all stages together: collecting samples from the field, performing molecular stages in the laboratory, and interpreting the raw next-generation sequencing data through bioinformatics analysis. The expected results are significant because this study is designed as the first to analyze the diet and microbiota of populations of species X under different urbanization influences using eDNA metabarcoding, thus providing important data on the feeding behavior of the species, and because these will be recorded in international databases as the first metabarcoded data on the microbiota and diet analysis of gulls in Türkiye, making them available for open access.