A review of the application of otolith microchemistry toward the study of Latin American fishes

Abstract

In developed countries, otolith microchemistry has been used for more than three decades for studies of life history, migration, and environmental ecology of fish stock of commercial importance. Although Latin America produces 16% of the annual fish capture, most of their fishery resources have not been well studied and handled. Modern methodologies related to microchemistry have not been applied to the underdeveloped countries of Latin America due to its high cost. In the last decade, there have been several studies on Latin American resources, carried out mainly by first world countries. Currently, some regional economies are strong and stable enough to ensure the training of specialized human resources and to generate opportunities for the exchange of projects and acquisition of state-of-the-art technology. In this work, all available literature associated to Latin American resources in relation to the use of otolith microchemistry has been reviewed. The use of different methodologies in the region in relation to global trends has been discussed. In addition to that, the extent of collaboration between underdeveloped and developed countries has been evaluated. This review shows a promising future in the application of otolith microchemistry to study biology of fishes, which will impact on the medium and long term to ensure the sustainability of certain resources and, therefore, the strengthening of regional economies.