Recent studies have demonstrated that DNA methylation levels at certain CpG sites (cytosines followed by guanines) exhibit strong correlations with chronological age, allowing for the development of DNA methylation-based, age-predictive models referred to as epigenetic clocks. This technique is potentially transformative for fisheries science, because age data are a critical input to stock assessments but obtaining age data by traditional techniques (e.g., otolith analysis) can be time consuming and often does not include important components of the fishery (e.g., live discards). We have developed an approach by which we produce consensus age estimates derived from ageing structures (e.g., otoliths, spines, vertebrae) and validated via eye lens core D14C, and then utilize those age estimates and genomic data to produce species-specific epigenetic clocks. Pairing epigenetic ageing with age validation techniques permits the development of epigenetic clocks with high accuracy and precision, and allows for the development of economically efficient DNA sequencing panels suitable for mass ageing. Furthermore, epigenetic ageing can be accomplished non-lethally using small tissue samples (e.g., fin clips, muscle biopsies), allowing characterization of age composition of landings and regulatory discards. This talk will describe the processes of age validation and epigenetic clock development, highlighting the results of recent studies on a suite of fishes of commercial or recreational importance in the Gulf and beyond.