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General Techniques
The ADU utilizes a variety of techniques in processing biological age structures. We utilize otolith "break and burn" technique for all groundfish species. Otolith "surface aging" is utilized to develop an understanding of growth about a specimen for groundfish species, however is used as an end-aging technique solely for known short-life species, for example, pacific salmon. Most invertebrate species require some manner of sectioning of their age structures to best reveal the full picture of growth.
"Break and burn" technique: an otolith is manually snapped in a transverse plane through its core then charred in an alcohol flame.
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