Juvenile River Herring Otolith Extraction and Mounting
This research is investigating differential growth patterns among groups of anadromous juvenile river herring. Students will participate in laboratory extraction of fish ear bones (otoliths) that will be used to determine age, hatch dates, and growth rates of young of the year river herring captured from lakes and coves in Massachusetts, Connecticut and Maine. Specifically, students will remove otoliths from juvenile herring (ranging from <10mm to >90mm) under a microscope and mount them onto slides for further analysis.
Provides a hands-on learning experience in an active lab setting working directly with samples to learn extraction, mounting, and aging techniques of otoliths while contributing data to numerous research projects. Techniques and experiences learned while working with the lab can be applied to various other projects throughout the participant's career, and may be great resume builders. Opportunities for independent research projects may also be available for motivated candidates.