Associations of metal exposure in otoliths with lesion formation in offshore, northeastern Gulf of Mexico fishes collected after the Deepwater Horizon oil spill (2011-2013)

This dataset contains annual metal concentrations for the years 2009-2011 within the otoliths of six, offshore Gulf of Mexico fishes: Red Grouper, Epinephelus morio; Red Porgy, Pagrus pagrus; Red Snapper, Lutjanus campechanus; Southern Hake, Urophycis floridana; Tilefish, Lopholatilus chamaeleonticeps; and Yellowedge Grouper, Hyporthodus flavolimbatus. Fish were collected from the northeastern Gulf of Mexico, from approximately the Louisiana Shelf to the West Florida Shelf. For each sample, a suite of 9 isotopes was measured within fish otoliths: 24Mg, 51V, 53Cr, 57Fe, 59Co, 60Ni, 63Cu, 64Zn, and 208Pb. Annual metal concentrations were determined by averaging metal concentrations corresponding to the annual increment widths in fish otoliths from approximately 2009-2011, although the exact time periods for each species are based on the timing of otolith annulus deposition. Lifetime metal concentrations are given in the dataset as the mean of entire otolith profiles (i.e. from the core to the edge of an otolith) for an individual. The dataset additionally contains information on individual fish collection location, sex, age, species, collection year, and lesion status.