Otoliths in the tropics - theory and methods (B4.17)

Task leader: Ms Bridget Green, James Cook University .

Task associate: Mr Martin Russell, Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Auhtority.

A large proportion of projects undertaken on tropical marine organisms involve removal and processing of calcified structures such as otoliths, statoliths or vertebrae to retrieve biological, biochemical or genetic information. Otoliths are the most commonly used structures from which to infer daily, seasonal or annual records of a fish’s environmental history and often are used as indicators of migration patterns, home range, spatial distribution, stock structure, and life history events. Techniques and theory for processing otoliths in tropical marine fish have only developed recently due to an historic misconception that these organisms could not be aged. Thus, current techniques and principles have evolved rapidly and are under constant modification. Most of the techniques involved differ markedly among laboratories, and more particularly among species and within life history stages.

We are proposing to collate and edit a textbook to provide a comprehensive description of the current status of knowledge about otoliths in the tropics, including discussions on the underlying theories and biological relevance of data retrieved. Our textbook will be the most comprehensive guide to processing otoliths in the tropics. It will present information in a simple format to allow researchers across the world to access the variety of techniques and understand the theoretical bases for deriving life-history information from otoliths.