@article {hernandez_puzzling_2024,
	title = {Puzzling parrotfishes: Radiocarbon age validation and updated longevity estimates for western Atlantic species in support of sustainable fisheries management},
	journal = {PLOS ONE},
	volume = {19},
	number = {5},
	year = {2024},
	note = {Publisher: Public Library of Science},
	month = {05/2024},
	pages = {e0302854},
	abstract = {For management efforts to succeed in Caribbean fisheries, local fishers must support and be willing to comply with fishing regulations. This is more likely when fishers are included in a stock assessment process that utilizes robust scientific evidence, collected in collaboration with fishers, to evaluate the health of fish stocks. Caribbean parrotfishes are important contributors to coral reef ecosystem health while also contributing to local fisheries. Scientifically robust stock assessments require regional species-specific information on age-based key life history parameters, derived from fish age estimates. Evaluation of the accuracy of age estimation methods for fish species is a critical initial step in managing species for long-term sustainable harvest. The current study resulted from a collaborative research program between fish biologists and local fishers investigating age, growth, and reproductive biology of the seven parrotfish species landed in U.S. Caribbean fisheries; specifically, we validated age estimation for stoplight parrotfish Sparisoma viride and queen parrotfish Scarus vetula. This is the first study to directly validate age estimation for any parrotfish species through analysis of Δ14C from eye lens cores. Our age estimation validation results show that enumeration of opaque zones from thin sections of sagittal otoliths for a Sparisoma and a Scarus species provides accurate age estimates. The oldest stoplight parrotfish and queen parrotfish in the Δ14C age estimation validation series were 14 y and 16 y; while the oldest stoplight parrotfish and queen parrotfish we aged to-date using the Δ14C validated age estimation method were 20 y and 21 y, respectively. Fish longevity (maximum age attained/life span) is a key life history parameter used for estimation of natural mortality, survivorship, and lifetime reproductive output. Past reviews on parrotfishes from the Pacific and Atlantic concluded that most Caribbean/western Atlantic parrotfish species are relatively short-lived with estimated maximum ages ranging from 3{\textendash}9 y. However, information from our collaborative research in the U.S. Caribbean combined with recently published age estimates for Brazilian parrotfish species indicate that many western Atlantic parrotfishes are relatively long-lived with several species attaining maximum ages in excess of 20 y.},
	keywords = {Caribbean, coral reefs, Eye lens, Fish biology, Fisheries, Marine fish, Otolith, Spawning},
	issn = {1932-6203},
	doi = {10.1371/journal.pone.0302854},
	url = {https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0302854},
	author = {Hernandez, Jesus M. Rivera and Shervette, Virginia R.}
}
@article {overly_caribbean_2023,
	title = {Caribbean deepwater snappers: Application of the bomb radiocarbon age estimation validation in understanding aspects of ecology and life history},
	journal = {PLOS ONE},
	volume = {18},
	number = {12},
	year = {2023},
	note = {Publisher: Public Library of Science},
	month = {12/2023},
	pages = {e0295650},
	abstract = {Reef fishes have been utilized as food fish throughout the U.S. Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico waters for centuries, with increasing fishing effort in recent decades. As a result, many species have experienced declines in landings, including deepwater snappers such as queen snapper Etelis oculatus and blackfin snapper Lutjanus buccanella. However, little to no peer-reviewed published research exists on basic life history parameters for either species. Confirming the accuracy of an age estimation method for a fish species is essential for ensuring sustainable fisheries management. This is because in the assessment of fisheries species population age-based parameters, including longevity, age at sexual maturity, growth rate, mortality, age-specific reproductive output, and lifetime reproductive output, are important in understanding overall life history strategies of managed stocks. The past stock assessment on U.S. Caribbean queen snapper utilized an estimated longevity of 8 y, derived from length frequencies for fish from St. Lucia. Blackfin snapper has an estimated longevity of 27 y based on a relatively small study from offshore waters of the southeastern U.S. The focus of our investigation was to estimate maximum longevity of two data-poor species in the U.S. Caribbean. The accuracy of ageing methods was tested via bomb radiocarbon age estimation validation and effects of depth on Δ14C in otolith cores and eye lens core values were examined. Results from our work indicate a maximum validated age of 45 y for queen snapper, and 43 y for blackfin snapper. Our findings indicate queen snapper and blackfin snapper are long-lived (> 40 y). The resulting Δ14C comparison between eye lens cores and otolith cores has important implications for the study of age validation, specifically when deepwater species are involved.},
	keywords = {Caribbean, Eye lens, Eyes, Fisheries, Larvae, Marine fish, Otolith, Reefs},
	issn = {1932-6203},
	doi = {10.1371/journal.pone.0295650},
	url = {https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0295650},
	author = {Overly, Katherine E. and Shervette, Virginia R.}
}
@article {2633,
	title = {Blue marlin ( <i>Makaira nigricans</i>               ) longevity estimates confirmed with bomb radiocarbon dating},
	journal = {Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences},
	volume = {75},
	year = {2018},
	month = {Jan-01-2018},
	pages = {17 - 25},
	abstract = {The longevity of blue marlin (Makaira nigricans) remains unresolved. The use of fin spines and sagittal otoliths for age reading has led to unconfirmed longevity estimates near 20-30 years. Age validation has been elusive because large individuals are uncommonly caught, and a technique that can be applied to structures that provide estimates of age was absent. The use of otolith chemical signatures has been limited by sagittal otoliths that are very small-whole otolith mass of adult blue marlin rarely exceeds 10 mg for the largest fish. Recent advances in the detection limits of radiocarbon (14C) with accelerator mass spectrometry-coupled with recently acquired knowledge of marine bomb 14C signals spanning the tropical Pacific Ocean-have led to an opportunity to age blue marlin from small amounts of otolith material. In this study, otoliths from a recently collected 1245 lb (565 kg) female blue marlin at a measured 146-inch (371 cm) lower jaw fork length were analyzed for 14C. Estimated longevity was either 12-21 or 32-44 years on the basis of bomb 14C dating. Using multiple lines of evidence, it was determined that the young age scenario was most likely, with evidence for an age close to 20 years using a series of deductions in the bomb 14C dating method.},
	keywords = {Accelerator mass spectrometry, Biology, Blue marlin, Ecology, Fish measurement, FisheryLongevity, Otolith, Radiocarbon dating},
	issn = {0706-652X},
	doi = {10.1139/cjfas-2017-0031},
	url = {http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/10.1139/cjfas-2017-0031http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/pdf/10.1139/cjfas-2017-0031http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/full-xml/10.1139/cjfas-2017-0031},
	author = {Andrews, Allen H. and Humphreys, Robert L. and Sampaga, Jeffery D.}
}
@article {2635,
	title = {Age and growth of the giant sea bass, Stereolepis gigas},
	journal = {California Cooperative Oceanic Fisheries Investigations Reports},
	volume = {55},
	year = {2014},
	month = {12},
	abstract = {In January 2010, a massive giant sea bass (500 lbs, 227 kg; near maximum reported size of 557 lbs, 253 kg) was captured off Santa Cruz Island by commercial gill-netters. This specimen presented a unique opportunity to estimate and validate of the potential longevity of the largest nearshore teleost of the northeastern Pacific. A transverse section of the sagittal otolith produced consistent counts of 62 opaque annuli along two different axes of the ventral sulcus region, translating into an estimated birth year of 1948. This age estimate was supported by measurements of radiocarbon (14 C) in the other sagittal otolith core (within the first year of growth), relative to D 14 C reference records used for bomb radiocarbon dating. Two otolith core samples produced D 14 C values that were classified as pre-bomb (prior to ,1958{\textendash}59), indicating a minimum lifespan of 51 years. It is likely that giant sea bass can live more than 60 or 70 years based on growth zone counts, but there is no evidence in the literature or this study to support longevity of 100 years.},
	keywords = {Age and growth, Carbon-14, lifespan, Longevity, Otolith, Polyprionidae, Stereolepis},
	doi = {10.3160/0038-3872-111.1.1 },
	url = {https://www.researchgate.net/publication/236999608_Bomb_radiocarbon_dating_and_estimated_longevity_of_Giant_Sea_Bass_Stereolepis_gigas},
	author = {A. Hawk, Holly and Allen, Larry}
}
