Otoliths

Otolith Analysis and Fish Aging

Image Pro Premier provides fisheries biologists with the enhanced set of image analysis tools used to detect, identify, edit and report location and precise quantitative measurements about these growth rings. Subjective measurements are now a thing of the past, since the same objective criteria are used to measure and report each set of data.

Automatically detect growth rings with Image-Pro Premier software
Image courtesy of Bryan Black, Hatfield Marine Science Center.

Otolith Analysis and Growth Ring Detection with Image-Pro Software

Accurate and precise otolith detection and measurement
A long-standing view in image analysis is that automation of measurement processes results in far more reliable and precise measurements. This is especially true when analyzing large numbers of features, across a multitude of samples. Fish otolith analysis is especially well-suited for this type of application. Dark growth rings within the otolith are easily detected and measured in the digital environment, and records keeping greatly simplified through the application of automated tools and techniques used to identify the location and distance of rings relative to one another.

Acquire a large images with Live Tiling and Live EDF
Acquire image and stitch together images as you manually move around your specimen with Live Tiling. Live EDF combined with Live Tiling ensures that images with varying depth will be acquired in focus.

Calibrate the image to apply measurement values to the growth rings to be analyzed
Image-Pro Premier lets you create, store and recall calibrated standards for use with your otolith application. Standards are typically created and identified based upon the magnification used to visualize the image.

Use the Line Profile tool to identify the position and locations of growth rings
The Line Profile tool identifies creates an intensity profile based upon the location and intensity of the growth rings being analyzed. Choose whether you'd like to perform manual or automatic detection, then let Image-Pro Premier identify the location of growth rings.

Zoom in on regions of interest to edit the placement of automatically detected rings
Zoom tools within Image Pro Premier allow you to zoom in closely upon detected peaks. After automated detection occurs you can adjust the location of measurement markers that identify the growth rings. Dark rings are indicated as peaks on the line profile.

Define the distance between growth rings
Once detected and edited, measurement data can be collected. Options exist for distance from center and distance between growth rings.

Save Line Profiles to Use Later or Share
Line profiles can be archived and recalled to share with your colleagues who also use Image-Pro Premier. Line profiles can be recalled and placed on the same image to confirm results and to gain to insight into existing data

Create a Snapshot of the line profile, location of growth rings and measurement data
Screenshots can be captured and stored, or placed into a report template. Commonly used formats such as PDF are supported.

Export the Data
Data can be exported to Excel or other spreadsheet packages. Data export options include tab- and comma-separated variable formats.

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