Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Commons^™

Experimental Investigation Of Elemental Incorporation In The Otoliths Of Larval And Juvenile Fish: Implications For Use As Environmental Recorders, Gretchen Bath Martin

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

Innovative techniques for discerning fish stocks, identifying nursery habitats, locating spawning sites, tracing larval transport pathways, and quantifying the degree of population connectivity are required to meet the goals of sustainable management of marine capture fisheries. One of the most promising techniques is the use of elemental signatures in fish otoliths (ear stones), which record valuable life history data and serve as the link between fish and their environment. To validate the assumption that otolith elemental composition is a function of water elemental concentrations, and to address the possible effects of external variables such as temperature and salinity, the composition …