DOI: 10.5061/dryad.hqbzkh1x8
title: Data for: Assessing striped bass scale metal accumulation as an indicator of Hudson river water quality

description: The accumulation of trace elements in aquatic environments has the
 potential to threaten fish populations and human health. Fish scales
 provide a nonlethal alternative that enables contamination assessment
 without sacrificing the fish. This study examined trace element
 concentrations in striped bass (Morone saxatilis) using archived scales
 from the Hudson River Biological Monitoring Program as indicators of
 temporal trends in trace element contamination in fish and water of the
 Hudson River Estuary (HRE) from 1989 to 2017. A total of 23 trace elements
 were measured across 103 samples, with fish total lengths ranging from 150
 to 845 mm and ages spanning 0 to 9 years. Fish body size was identified as
 a key factor influencing element bioaccumulation, revealing significant
 declines in several trace element concentrations over time. This study
 establishes a baseline time series of relative trace element contamination
 in the HRE, suggesting improvements in regional water quality and
 demonstrating the utility of fish scales as indicators of environmental
 recovery and the effectiveness of long-term pollution control efforts in
 the Hudson River Estuary.
description: # Data for: Assessing striped bass scale metal accumulation as an
 indicator of Hudson river water quality Dataset DOI:
 [10.5061/dryad.hqbzkh1x8](https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.hqbzkh1x8) ##
 Description of the data and file structure This dataset is from the
 manuscript "Assessing Striped Bass Scale Metal Accumulation as an
 Indicator of Hudson River Water Quality" and provides the details of
 the trace elements analyzed and results. ### Files and variables ####
 File: cjfas-2025-0318-data.xlsx **Description:**  **sum** = this worksheet
 shows all sample information and results of trace element concentrations
 analyzed in nmol/g * SAMPLE ID: Identification number of the sampling
 event within the survey * FISH ID: Identification number of an individual
 fish within a sample * RIVER MILE: River mile location where the fish was
 collected * AGE (years): Age of the fish determined by counting annuli on
 scales * LENGTH (mm): Total length of the fish (millimeters) * YEAR: Year
 of collection * Column G to Z * Columns G–Z contain trace element
 concentrations. * Units: nmol/g (nanomoles per gram). * Only elements
 included in the final analysis are shown. * These values were used for: *
 Log transformation * Standardization * Regression analyses * ANOVA and
 Tukey HSD tests * n/a values in columns C (RIVER MILE) and D (AGE):
 specific information was not available. * These missing values do not
 affect the trace element concentration analyses. 
 
 **log_metal_vs_length** = this worksheet shows the results of regression
 models using Log-transformed metal concentration as the response variable
 and fish total length (TL) as the predictor. Each metal results were
 reported in multiple years.  * Metal: Chemical element analyzed (e.g., Al
 = Aluminum) * Year: Sampling year * Intercept: Model intercept  *
 Slope: Regression coefficient for TL * P_value: p-value testing whether
 slope differs from zero * R_squared: Coefficient of determination 
 
 **ANOVA** = this worksheet shows Analysis of Variance results examining
 whether log-transformed, standardized metal concentration (log_std_metal)
 differs among years. * Df: Degrees of freedom * Sum: Sq Sum of squares *
 Mean: Sq Mean square (Sum Sq / Df) * F value: F-statistic (ratio of
 between-year variance to within-year variance) * Pr(&gt;F): p-value
 testing whether group means differ 
 
 **Tukey** = this worksheet shows Tukey HSD results on pairwise
 comparisons between all years to determine which specific years differ
 significantly in mean log-transformed, standardized metal concentration *
 diff: Difference in group means (Year1 − Year2) * lwr: Lower bound of the
 95% confidence interval * upr: Upper bound of the 95% confidence interval
 * p adj: Adjusted p-value (corrected for multiple comparisons) 
 
 **log_std_metal_vs_year** = this worksheet shows the results of linear
 regressions using years as the predictor and Log-transformed, standardized
 metal concentration as the response variable * Metal: Element analyzed
 (log-transformed and standardized) * Length_Group (mm): Fish total length
 category * Intercept: Model intercept * Slope: Annual change in
 concentration (β₁) * P_Value: p-value testing temporal trend * R_Squared:
 Coefficient of determination