Abstract:

This dataset contains aging data of reef fish collected at the natural reef sites in the northern Gulf of Mexico from August 2015 to December 2017. Sagittal otoliths were sampled from reef fishes and sectioned and aged depending on fish size. Opaque zones were counted and the margin of the otolith was indicated as being either Opaque (“O”) or Translucent (“T”).

Suggested Citation:

Glabach, Miaya. 2018. Aging data of reef fish collected at natural reefs sites in the northern Gulf of Mexico from 2015-08-30 to 2017-11-03. Distributed by: GRIIDC, Harte Research Institute, Texas A&M University–Corpus Christi. doi:10.7266/n7-b0g9-6e19

Purpose:

To examine reef fish size and age following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

Data Parameters and Units:

Date (date sample collected, mm/dd/yyyy); Sample ID (unique sample identifier); Species (common name); Site (reef name); Sex (M = Male, F = Female); Mass (fish mass in kg); FL (fork length, mm); TL (total length, mm); Age (reader 1); Margin Code (opaque “O” versus Translucent “T” margin in otolith section); Opaque zones (number of opaque zones present in an otolith section); Readability (F = Fair, D = Difficult, G = Good, U = Unreadable, E = Excellent). Site coordinates are as follows: Site (reef name) Latitude (decimal degrees) Longitude (decimal degrees) Amberjack Rock 30.1834, -86.8633 Destin Edge I 30.0001, -86.5183 Destin Edge II 30.1282, -86.8327 Dutch Banks 30.1943, -87.4374 Good Rock 30.2, -86.2334 Green's Hole 30.1403, -87.1838 Mingo Ridge 29.9848, -86.5667 Mobile Edge II 29.4614, -87.9749 Natural Bottom East 30.1417, -86.3283 Natural Bottom West 29.9217, -87.895 Nikki Grounds 30.1975, -86.7927 SE Banks 30.015, -87.9517 The Edge 29.8285, -87.3249 Tree Bottom 30.1044, -87.8001 Trysler Grounds 29.8963, -87.5324 Yellow Gravel 29.7251, -87.405

Instruments:

IsoMet low-speed saw

Individual Files: