Three-dimensional
Laser Confocal Microscopy as a Tool to Age Fish Otoliths by Optical
Sections: Validation of Daily Microincrements by Both Injected Dyes
and Theoretical Otolith Growth Models
This project
will apply new tools to the analysis of fish otolith growth. Initial application
will be on fish whose growth is well understood. After validation, the
method will be applied to the difficult problem of estimating the age
composition of swordfish populations.
Principal
Investigator:
Dr. Robert Gauldie
Hawaii Institute of Geophysics and Planetology
University of Hawaii at Manoa
2525 Correa Road, HIG Annex
Honolulu, Hawaii 96822
Phone (808) 956-9838
FAX (808) 956-3188
Progress Report
Funding for
this project was received in February 1995.
Laser
confocal microscopy images of swordfish (Xiphias gladius) otoliths showed
the expected array of microincrements. The MAC8100 computer, delivered
in June 1995, coupled with SPY GLASS software has the capacity for volume
rendering of otoliths from optical slices and the capacity for further
analysis of arbitrary sections. Some start up difficulties with the
system were encountered. Quantitative analyses of otolith structure
will begin in July 1995. The results will be used to devise improved
methods for determining the age of swordfish.
This
page updated
August 15, 2006
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