Fish daily age information provides insight into growth, phenology, recruitment and survival, but is rarely incorporated into fisheries management because data collection is laborious. We tested Fourier transform–near-infrared (FT-NIR) spectroscopy as a rapid method to determine daily age from otoliths of an important commercial species, walleye pollock (Gadus chalcogrammus). Results indicated that FT-NIR spectroscopy may provide a valuable tool to collect daily age information for research and management.

There is widespread contamination of our oceans with plastic waste, dominated by MPs and NPs. Crustaceans, such as shrimp, exhibit omnivorous feeding habits, consuming all available substances in their environment, including MPs from water, sediment and prey. The detrimental effects of MPs and NPs on crustaceans are multifaceted, encompassing metabolic and biochemical disturbances, alterations in feeding behaviours, histological anomalies, organ dysfunctions, synergistic interactions with heavy metals, reproductive malformations, dysregulated pattern of gene expression, elevated oxidative stress responses and diminished survival rates.

Stingray City, Cayman Islands, is one of the most famous marine life interaction sites in the world, where an aggregation of stingrays are regularly fed by and interact with humans. During the COVID-19 pandemic, feeding of stingrays ceased and tourism operations at the site shut down. During this time, the size and composition of the stingray aggregation changed dramatically and even following resumption of tourism activities, the aggregation remained altered from pre-pandemic conditions. This study has illustrated the large-scale effects that human activities may have on wildlife tourism.