Abundance estimates and morphometric measurements of King Mackerel larvae collected in the northern Gulf of Mexico, 2007-2011

These data were collected to examine larval King Mackerel abundance and condition in relation to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill (DWHOS). Ichthyoplankton samples were collected monthly (May through August) along a cross-shelf transect off the coast of Alabama (USA) prior, during and after the DWHOS. Samples were collected during daylight hours using a Bedford Institute of Oceanography Net Environmental Sampling System (BIONESS; Open Seas Instrumentation, Inc.). The BIONESS had a 0.25-m2 mouth opening fitted with 333 um or 202 um mesh nets. All King Mackerel larvae used in the morphometric analyses were imaged under a dissecting microscope fitted with a high-resolution digital camera (Canon EOS Rebel T3i, Canon, Inc.). Body dimensions were measured using -Solution Lite imaging software (IMT i-Solution, Inc.).