Otolith (IMAGE)
Caption
Purdue University researchers are analyzing structures called otoliths, pictured here, taken from fish larvae as part of a study to learn how young fish vital to Lake Michigan's ecosystem might cope with future climate change. The tiny calcium carbonate structures grow in fish larva. Because the structures grow in layers as the fish age, they possess rings similar to tree rings that can be analyzed under a microscope to gauge the age and growth characteristics of the larvae.
Credit
Tomas Hook, Purdue University Department of Forestry and Natural Resources
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