This laboratory has been closed.  Allen Andrews has moved on from MLML to the Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center - NOAA to set up a new Age and Longevity Research Laboratory in the Life History Program under Robert Humphreys.  Work will continue with a focus on applying the techniques outlined below to the regional fishes of Hawaii.

The use of naturally occurring and anthropogenic (man-made) radioactivity to determine how marine organisms grow and how long they can live. In most cases there are estimates of age for marine organisms. We work to validate or refute these estimates and provide one of the important factors in understanding and managing the populations. To date we have applied our radiometric techniques to numerous fishes and invertebrates from marine environments all over the world.

Lead-radium dating: This method of age determination utilizes naturally occurring radioactivity that is stored in skeletal structures. Its most common use in biological applications is with the ear bones (otoliths) of fishes.

Bomb radiocarbon: Atmospheric testing of thermonuclear devices created a global increase in radiocarbon that can be traced into the marine environment. Marine organisms have taken up this bomb-produced signal and this signal can be used to determine or verify age.