Visting the FWRI Age & Growth Lab

Understanding age is one of the most important life history components when managing fish populations. Age and growth studies provide insight into population productivity, longevity, growth rates, age structure, and how exploitation affects the population (e.g., age truncation). As such, collecting age data is a fundamental component of effective fisheries management. This March, I was able to visit the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission's Fish and Wildlife Research Institute's Age and Growth Lab, one of the largest fish production aging facilities in the southeastern U.S.

As part of my dissertation research, I'm describing the life history of Scamp (Mycteroperca phenax) in the northcentral Gulf of Mexico. In an attempt to best match current otolith processing and aging protocols used for Scamp stock assessments, I was very interested in visiting this lab and learning their ways. I reached out to the lab lead and was lucky enough to be accommodated. I was able to learn the lab's protocols, process a portion of my samples, meet wonderful scientists, and get an insight into the operations of a production aging laboratory constantly providing age data for many of the managed species in the southeastern U.S. Some of the most recent efforts went into providing age data for the stock assessments of Mutton Snapper (Lutjanus analis) and Yellowtail Snapper (Ocyurus chrysurus). I'm beyond grateful to the members of the FWRI Age & Growth Lab for accommodating and training me. I've been very lucky to meet federal and state agency scientists willing to work with me during my academic preparation.

Observing transverse sections of a Snowy Grouper Hyporthodus niveatus otolith under a microscope