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DISTINGUISHING RED SNAPPER, LUTJANUS CAMPECHANUS, NURSERY REGIONS IN THE NORTHERN GULF OF MEXICO WITH OTOLITH ELEMENTAL AND STABLE ISOTOPE SIGNATURES

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Date Issued:
2008
Summary:
This study was designed to test if otolith chemistry can provide fish ecologists with a natural tag of fish populations to estimate Gulf of Mexico (GOM) red snapper migration pathways and population connectivity for more effective management of this important resource. Otolith elemental and stable isotope signatures of age-0 red snapper sampled in fall 2005 were significantly different among four U.S. GOM regions (MANOVA, p < 0.001; individual element:Ca ratios and stable isotope delta values, ANOVA, p < 0.001). Results from quadratic discriminant function analysis indicate otolith chemical signatures distinguished nursery regions with an overall accuracy of 74% when element:Ca ratios were included in the model and 80% when only d13C and d18O were modeled. The efficacy of employing otolith chemistry as a natural tag was further explored via experiments testing differences between right and left otoliths and testing the effect coring may have on otolith chemical signatures. Few significant effects of the coring process were observed for individual stable isotope delta values or element:Ca ratios, and those that were observed were systematic and could be controlled for by using residuals to fit stock identity models. Overall, results from coring experiments support applying core chemical signatures as nursery tags.
Title: DISTINGUISHING RED SNAPPER, LUTJANUS CAMPECHANUS, NURSERY REGIONS IN THE NORTHERN GULF OF MEXICO WITH OTOLITH ELEMENTAL AND STABLE ISOTOPE SIGNATURES.
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Name(s): Barnett, Beverly Kay, Author
Type of Resource: text
Date Issued: 2008
Publisher: University of West Florida
Language(s): English
Summary: This study was designed to test if otolith chemistry can provide fish ecologists with a natural tag of fish populations to estimate Gulf of Mexico (GOM) red snapper migration pathways and population connectivity for more effective management of this important resource. Otolith elemental and stable isotope signatures of age-0 red snapper sampled in fall 2005 were significantly different among four U.S. GOM regions (MANOVA, p < 0.001; individual element:Ca ratios and stable isotope delta values, ANOVA, p < 0.001). Results from quadratic discriminant function analysis indicate otolith chemical signatures distinguished nursery regions with an overall accuracy of 74% when element:Ca ratios were included in the model and 80% when only d13C and d18O were modeled. The efficacy of employing otolith chemistry as a natural tag was further explored via experiments testing differences between right and left otoliths and testing the effect coring may have on otolith chemical signatures. Few significant effects of the coring process were observed for individual stable isotope delta values or element:Ca ratios, and those that were observed were systematic and could be controlled for by using residuals to fit stock identity models. Overall, results from coring experiments support applying core chemical signatures as nursery tags.
Identifier: WFE0000104 (IID), uwf:60840 (fedora)
Note(s): M.S.
Department of Biology
Masters
Subject(s): Red snapper, otolith microchemistry, nursery region, micromill, trace elements
Persistent Link to This Record: http://purl.flvc.org/uwf/fd/WFE0000104
Restrictions on Access: public
Use and Reproduction: http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC-EDU/1.0/
Host Institution: UWF

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