AFSC/REFM: Alaskan yellowfin sole extended chronology Black et al 2013

Annual growth increment patterns observed in the hard parts of many marine organisms are often related to factors in the physical environment, and investigators are increasingly using dendrochronology (tree-ring science) methods to explore these relationships. Dendrochronology techniques were applied to the otolith growth increments of yellowfin sole Limanda aspera to determine the extent to which somatic growth and otolith growth are coupled. Otoliths were visually crossdated to ensure that the correct calendar year was assigned to each growth increment. Growth-increment widths were measured in each otolith, crossdating was statistically checked, and a master chronology was generated by averaging measurement time series after age-related growth declines had been removed. The final chronology spanned 43 yr and was significantly related to Bering Sea bottom temperature and sea surface temperature. The relationship between otolith growth and somatic growth was explored using regression analysis. Population-wide otolith anomalies were found to be significantly related to population-wide anomalies in body size, as indexed by fish weight-length ratios.