Migratory movements, depth preferences, and thermal biology of Atlantic bluefin tuna.

Block BA, Dewar H, Blackwell SB, Williams TD, Prince ED, Farwell CJ, Boustany A, Teo SL, Seitz A, Walli A, Fudge D. Science. 2001; 293 (5533): 1310-4

The deployment of electronic data storage tags that are surgically implanted or satellite-linked provides marine researchers with new ways to examine the movements, environmental preferences, and physiology of pelagic vertebrates. We report the results obtained from tagging of Atlantic bluefin tuna with implantable archival and pop-up satellite archival tags. The electronic tagging data provide insights into the seasonal movements and environmental preferences of this species. Bluefin tuna dive to depths of >1000 meters and maintain a warm body temperature. Western-tagged bluefin tuna make trans-Atlantic migrations and they frequent spawning grounds in the Gulf of Mexico and eastern Mediterranean. These data are critical for the future management and conservation of bluefin tuna in the Atlantic.
Tuna Research and Conservation Center, Stanford University, Hopkins Marine Station, Oceanview Boulevard, Pacific Grove, CA 93950, USA. bblock@stanford.edu

Source: Comment in Science. 2001 Aug 17;293(5533):1267-8.