Allen Andrews
Allen Andrews is now working in the Life History Program of the Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center - NOAA in Hawaii. He has moved his entire operation to a new facility to continue with performing age validation of fishes and other marine organisms in the Hawaiian Islands region.
At MLML, Allen worked as a Research Associate operating the Age and Longevity Research Laboratory at Moss Landing Marine Laboratories (MLML) in a position that involved Ichthyology, Radiochemistry, Chemical Oceanography, and Deep Sea Ecology. He earned a Master of Sciences in Marine Science from MLML, California State University in 1997. His thesis involved validating the life span of Pacific grenadier (Coryphaenoides acrolepis), a deep sea fish found along the deep slopes of the northern Pacific Ocean, at over 54 years.
After his MS degree he continued this line of work determining the age, growth, and longevity of marine organisms, as well as geochronological measurements, using naturally occurring and manmade radioactivity. His involvement with age determination of fishes began in 1992 with deep sea explorations off the Farallon Islands and has led to confirmation of high life-spans in numerous marine organisms, some at more than 100 years. Work with deep-sea corals began with age determination of red tree coral (Primnoa pacifica) from southeastern Alaska, which led to more work on corals from Davidson Seamount off Monterey Bay, Alaska and New Zealand.
In 2009 he finished a Ph.D. in Ichthyology and Fisheries Science at Rhodes University in South Africa by working on age validation of Patagonian toothfish (Dissostichus eleginoides; commonly known as the Chilean sea bass), and orange roughy (Hoplostethus atlanticus).
Other more recent works involved bomb radiocarbon dating of red and white abalone and lead-radium dating of opakapaka (Pristipomoides filamentosus; Hawaiian snapper) from Hawaii and golden tilefish (Lopholatilus chamaeleonticeps) from off Florida. In addition, feasibility applications of lead-210 dating to deep-sea shark spines (Squaliformes) and bomb radiocarbon dating to leatherback sea turtles (Dermochelys coriacea) were recently investigated. Most of this work is in the process of being written up for publication.
Because of a loss of financial support during 2009, I have had to seek other opportunities. The work performed on the opakapaka led to a strong interest in my work by the PIFSC-NOAA and I have since moved my operation to Hawaii.
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