Data from: Reconstructing salmon growth trajectories through biochronologies across a highly variable growthscape

Measuring the growth of migratory fish across habitats is difficult
because field observations only provide a snapshot into their life; yet,
understanding which habitats provide better growth opportunities is
crucial for their conservation. We experimentally enclosed individually
tagged juvenile Chinook Salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) in habitats with
known differences in growth potentials to evaluate four different models
(Dahl-Lea, Fraser-Lee, Biological Intercept, Modified Fry) used to
back-calculated size-at-age from otoliths. We found that otolith-derived
fish size reconstructions were most accurate using the Biological
Intercept or Modified Fry model, though bias remains for slow growing
fish. This tool was then used in a case study to reconstruct the mosaic of
inter- and intra-habitat growth opportunities available to fishes,
providing a useful framework for assessing and monitoring fish responses
to habitat restoration and a changing environment.