Brainstorms: Hot Tuna: Electronic Tracking of Giant Bluefin Across the Open Sea

Brainstorms: Hot Tuna: Electronic Tracking of Giant Bluefin Across the Open Sea

Open ocean predators such as tunas, sharks,

turtles and marine mammals have historically

been difficult to study due to their size, speed and

range over the vast oceanic habitat. Recent development

of surgically implanted electronic tags that send

signals to satellites has provided researchers with

a way to examine the movements, physiology and

behavior of these animals. Pilot projects with bluefin

tuna—the largest of the tuna species at 1,500

pounds—are generating a novel view of the North

Pacific and Atlantic ecosystems, and reveal migration

corridors where the fish routinely travel thousands of

miles in search of food and mates. Tunas spotted off

the coast of the Carolinas in winter might be at the

Flemish Cap of Canada by spring, all the way to the

Mediterranean by summer and back to the western

Atlantic by the end of that year! Marine biologists are

using this and other knowledge from new technologies

to promote sustainable fishing practices and

ensure proper conditions for long-term ocean health.