Marine Fisheries
Title:	Spatial variations in otolith microchemistry for Tautoga onitis in the Northeast US
Author(s):	Ivan Mateo, Dave Bengtson, Edward Durbin, Univeristy of Rhode Island
Date:	Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Time:	9:25 am - 9:45 am
Room:	Lexington
Abstract: Elemental composition of otoliths may provide valuable information in establishing connectivity between nursery grounds and marine fish populations. Juveniles of the economically important fish species Tautoga onitis were captured in 3 stations within Narragansett Bay and 4 high salinity areas along US Northeast Coast in a single year. Concentrations of Rb, Mg, Ca, Mn, Sr, Na,K, Sr, Pb and Ba were determined in otoliths of YOY using solution-based inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Stable oxygen (18O) and carbon isotopic ratios (13C) in YOY otoliths were also analyzed using isotope ratio mass spectrometry to discriminate tautog nursery grounds. Results of MANOVA showed that elemental signatures differed significantly among the distinct nurseries within Narragansett Bay (Pillai's trace =4.465, P<0.001) and among the states (Pillai's trace =1.705, P<0.001). In addition, univariate contrasts indicated that concentrations of three elements (Sr, Ba, Mn) and two stable isotopes (18O and 13C) differed significantly among the 4 high salinity nurseries within states (ANOVA, P<0.001). Our linear discriminant analysis found that the three tautog nurseries within Narragansett Bay (Mount Hope Bay, Gaspee Point, Rose Island) were distinguished with 100% of classification success. High salinity stations along the US coast (RI, CT, NJ, VA) were correctly classified with 92% accuracy. Since accurate classification of juvenile fish to their nursery sites was achieved, otolith chemistry analysis can be used as a natural habitat tag in assigning adult fish to their estuarine nursery.
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