4 Table Summaries

This database can be broken down into four main tables containing information on the ageing material, four other tables describing the various codes that are used, and one view.

The following is a listing and brief outline of the tables contained within age:

1. t_trip : contains location information about ageing material from species caught on a trip. This may sometimes just be a summary of records in the table t_catalog.

2. t_fish : contains biological details from all fish that ageing material has been taken; e.g., sex, length, weight (and otolith data).

3. t_reading : contains results generated from an individual reading of an ageing material, e.g., otolith, scale.

4. t_catalog : contains the current location and status of the ageing material.

5. t_age : contains the agreed age of the fish based on either all the readings or readings by one method.

Also contained in the age database are the numerous master tables containing all codes and their descriptions. Most of the codes used in the age database are checked against these master tables before being inserted. The following is a summary list of these master code tables:

6. t_origin : contains explanations for the codes used to describe the origin of the ageing material.

7. t_material : contains explanations for the codes used to describe the ageing material used.

8. t_reader : contains names of the readers of the ageing material.

9. t_age_meth : lists the meanings of the codes for the different preparation and reading methods used and describes what reading measurements go into what result and error attributes in the t_reading table.