Seasonal distributions and migrations of Northwest Atlantic swordfish: inferences from integration of pop-up satellite archival tagging studies.
Data sets from three laboratories conducting studies of movements and migrations of Atlantic swordfish (Xiphias gladius) using pop-up satellite archival tags were pooled, and processed using a common methodology. From 78 available deployments, 38 were selected for detailed examination based on deployment duration. The points of deployment ranged from southern Newfoundland to the Straits of Florida. The aggregate data comprise the most comprehensive information describing migrations of swordfish in the Atlantic. Challenges in using data from different tag manufacturers are discussed. The relative utility of geolocations obtained with light is compared with results derived from temperature information for this deep-diving species. The results show that fish tagged off North America remain in the western Atlantic throughout their deployments. This is inconsistent with the model of stock structure used in assessments conducted by the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas, which assumes that fish mix freely throughout the North Atlantic.
Fisheries and Oceans Canada, 531 Brandy Cove Road, St. Andrews, New Brunswick E5B 2L9 Canada.
John D
JD
Neilson
Marine Resources Research Institute, South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, PO Box 12559, Charleston, South Carolina, United States of America.
Josh
J
Loefer
National Marine Fisheries Service, Southeast Fisheries Science Center, 75 Virginia Beach Drive, Miami, Florida 33149, United States of America.
Eric D
ED
Prince
Datasio, 22 rue Mage, 31000 Toulouse, France.
François
F
Royer
Collecte Localisation Satellites, Parc Technologique du Canal, 8-10 rue Hèrmes, 31526 Ramonville, France.
Beatriz
B
Calmettes
Collecte Localisation Satellites, Parc Technologique du Canal, 8-10 rue Hèrmes, 31526 Ramonville, France.
Philippe
P
Gaspar
Collecte Localisation Satellites, Parc Technologique du Canal, 8-10 rue Hèrmes, 31526 Ramonville, France.
Rémy
R
Lopez
Fisheries and Oceans Canada, 531 Brandy Cove Road, St. Andrews, New Brunswick E5B 2L9 Canada.
Irene
I
Andrushchenko
D025041:Animal Migration; D000818:Animals; D001267:Atlantic Ocean; D005399:Fishes; D009656:North America; D011157:Population Dynamics; D058998:Remote Sensing Technology; D012621:Seasons; D062211:Spatio-Temporal Analysis