Tagging
Why do we tag marine Highly migratory species?
Tagging, or the use of implanted identification (electronic or not), has been employed on a wide variety of terrestrial and aquatic species. This tool is extremely useful for researchers looking to learn more about spatial usage (local habitat, migration patterns, vertical & horizontal movements), spawning and foraging behavior, thermal preferences, and temporal patterns. Each tag has a set duration during which the tag will record environmental data while attached to the fish. There are a variety of ways for tags to 鈥減op-off鈥 the fish, but ideal tag release occurs when it reaches its set duration, detaches from the fish, and floats to the surface for data transmission. Transmitted and recovered data is extremely informative as it allows managers to make informed decisions and fill in gaps within life histories. Tagging is revolutionizing how we observe these highly migratory, elusive, long-lived species providing insights that promote sustainable fisheries and conservation.
Tag Track website launch!
After sharing some of our satellite tracks, we thought folks would like to see ALL the data visualizations we have created so far! Enjoy exploring where some of your favorite highly migratory species have traveled after being tagged by the Pelagic Fisheries Lab!
Number of Satellite Tags Deployed on fish since 2021…
Atlantic bluefin tuna
Basking sharks
Blue sharks
White marlin
Blue marlin
Pacific sailfish
White sharks
Mako sharks
Atlantic Bluefin Tuna
Our largest tagging effort to date is deploying satellite tags on Atlantic bluefin tuna in the northwest Atlantic. We have tracks of bluefin that stay relatively local to the Gulf of Maine, some that cross the Atlantic to the Mediterranean Sea, others that travel down the coastline to the Gulf of Mexico, and even evidence of some individuals habituating the Slope Sea, which is a third proposed spawning ground.
University of Maine & Maine Department of marine resources collaboratioN!
Sharks
In a collaborative effort with the Maine Department of Marine Resources, we are deploying tags on sharks in the Gulf of Maine. The tags allow us to understand baseline species abundance, distribution, and trophic interactions. The receivers allow us to reconstruct broad and fine-scale distributions and habitat use by highly migratory and benthic fishes. Data from these efforts will be used to support fisheries management and provide a baseline that can be used to determine the potential impacts before, during, and after offshore wind turbine construction.
To learn more about our collaboration in sharking tagging in the Gulf of Maine, please check out this link below.
Blue Marlin & Pacific Sailfish
Although we do not have a specific project for tagging blue marlin & pacific sailfish, we hope to continue tagging these species of billfish and others to help us begin to understand their spatial usage (local habitat, migration patterns, vertical & horizontal movements), spawning and foraging behavior, thermal preferences, and temporal patterns.
The Skillie Project
91福利 Pelagic Fisheries Lab is a scientific partner of the Billfish Foundation’s Skillie Project, which is their largest white marlin satellite tagging mission. The goal of this project is to better understand white marlin migratory patterns and support effective management strategies.