Unsupervised estimation of the age at sea departure of Atlantic salmon using magnesium, manganese, and zinc otolith chemistry

• Published in: Journal of Fish Biology
• Main Authors: Fontaine, Anthony, Vignon, Matthias, Tabouret, Hélène, Pécheyran, Christophe, Bareille, Gilles
• Other Authors: Fondation Pour La Conservation Du Saumon Atlantique, Office Français de la Biodiversité, Université de Pau et des Pays de l'Adour
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Wiley 2024
• Subjects: Atlantic salmon
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/jfb.15829; https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/jfb.15829

Abstract Investigating the age at sea departure of returning Atlantic salmon is critical to better understand the role of emigration timing in survival. Among the methods available, the use of otolith chemistry can be challenging in anadromous fish, as the elements frequently used (i.e., magnesium, manganese, and zinc) can jointly reflect individual metabolism and environmental conditions. Here, we present a new unsupervised and robust method for successfully estimating the outmigration age of Atlantic salmon in the Bay of Biscay, based on otolith zinc concentrations.