Movement of Atlantic bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus) as determined by satellite tagging experiments initiated off New England

Abstract

Pop-up satellite archival tags were attached to 35 Atlantic bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus) off the New England coast of the United States of America in 1998, 2000, and 2001. The tags provided information on the horizontal and vertical movements and environmental preferences of bluefin tuna. Fish showed movement patterns that can be categorized by age and season. Mature individuals were linked to the Gulf of Mexico breeding grounds based on light level longitude and sea surface temperature latitude estimates of geolocation and a radiosatellite endpoint position. A track based on geolocation indicated that a single individual moved from the tagging release location to the Gulf of Mexico and back to New England waters. Tag-generated water column profiles of depth versus temperature were consistent with fish movement along the shelf and into the Gulf of Mexico. Adolescent fish moved from the New England offshore feeding locations to winter aggregations in the coastal shelf and slope waters of North and South Carolina. Bluefin tuna showed a preference for ambient temperatures that ranged from 14 to 26 °C in autumn and from 18 to 24 °C in winter.