Assimilating electronic tagging, oceanographic modelling, and fisheries data to estimate movements and connectivity of swordfish in the North Atlantic
[1];
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology—Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution Joint Program in Oceanography/Applied Ocean Science and Engineering, Cambridge, MA, USA, Biology Department, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, MA, USA
- Air-Sea Interaction and Remote Sensing Department, Applied Physics Laboratory—University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98105, USA
- MARE—Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre, University of the Azores, Horta, Azores, Portugal, Centre of IMAR of the University of the Azores, Horta, Azores, Portugal, OKEANOS University of the Azores, Horta, Azores, Portugal
- Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries, New Bedford, MA, USA
- Biology Department, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, MA, USA
Abstract Broadbill swordfish (Xiphias gladius) is a key species in commercial fisheries, but management efforts continue to be hindered by data gaps in their basic biology, including ongoing debate over stock boundaries and movement between management zones. We deployed 20 pop-up satellite archival transmitting (PSAT) tags on juvenile swordfish in the Azores and adults in the northwest Atlantic (NWA). We applied a recently developed geolocation approach that synthesizes tag data with a global observation-assimilating ocean model to improve geolocation accuracy. Resulting tracks from 16 individuals averaged 3751 km (range 345–7247 km) over 93 days (range 17–181 days). Juveniles tagged in the Azores made regional movements while adults tagged in the NWA moved between summer foraging grounds near the Grand Banks to winter habitats near the Antillean Arc. All individuals spent considerable time in the mesopelagic zone during the day, and this behaviour increased with fish size. We integrate results from our PSAT-based movements with conventional tag and catch-per-unit effort data, which indicates complex stock structure within the North Atlantic that largely supports current stock boundaries. Our work demonstrates the utility in synthesizing fishery-independent electronic tag data and fisheries datasets to improve our understanding of large pelagic fish ecology.
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE Office of Nuclear Energy (NE), Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Supply Chain
- Grant/Contract Number:
- SFRH/BPD/66532/2009; DRCTM3.1.a/F/062/2016; FCT/IF/01640/2015
- OSTI ID:
- 1580786
- Journal Information:
- ICES Journal of Marine Science, Journal Name: ICES Journal of Marine Science Vol. 76 Journal Issue: 7; ISSN 1054-3139
- Publisher:
- Oxford University PressCopyright Statement
- Country of Publication:
- United Kingdom
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Salmon Supplementation Studies in Idaho Rivers; Field Activities Conducted on Clear and Pete King Creeks, 2001 Annual Report.
Annual Coded Wire Tag Program; Oregon Missing Production Groups, 1998 Annual Report.