title: Sailfish migrations connect productive coastal areas in the West Atlantic Ocean.
abstract: Isla Mujeres, Mexico is home to one of the most well-known aggregations of sailfish. Despite its fisheries prominence, little is known about this sailfish assemblage, or its relationship to other aggregation sites in the western Atlantic. In January 2012, April 2013 and 2014, we deployed 34 popup satellite archival tags on sailfish in order to study their behavior, population connectivity and biophysical interactions. Sailfish were monitored for up to one year, and displayed (1) predominantly shelf associated activity (2) occupancy of the Yucatán Current near Isla Mujeres for up to five months and (3) subsequent dispersals from the Yucatán to productive coastal areas in the Gulf of Mexico, the Caribbean Sea and along the South American coast. Tagged sailfish occupied a median temperature of 26.4°C (interquartile range, IQR = 2.5 °C; range = 12.3-33.3 °C) and median depth of 4.4 m (IQR = 19 m; range = 0-452 m). Diel activity was present and individuals made distinctive descents before sunrise and sunset. Tracking missions of sufficient duration (~1 year) revealed previously undetected connectivity between western Atlantic sailfish fisheries and pelagic longline catches, and highlighted how fishery independent tagging can improve understanding of sailfish migrations and behavior for assessment and management.
authors.affiliation: Large Pelagics Research Center, School for the Environment, University of Massachusetts Boston, P.O. Box 3188, Gloucester, MA 01931, USA.
authors.forename: Chi Hin
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Lam
authors.affiliation: School of Marine Science and Technology, University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, Fairhaven, MA 02719, USA.
authors.forename: Benjamin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Galuardi
authors.affiliation: Keen M International Fishing Charters, Isla Mujeres, Quintana Roo, Mexico.
authors.forename: Anthony
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mendillo
authors.affiliation: Large Pelagics Research Center, School for the Environment, University of Massachusetts Boston, P.O. Box 3188, Gloucester, MA 01931, USA.
authors.forename: Emily
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Chandler
authors.affiliation: Large Pelagics Research Center, School for the Environment, University of Massachusetts Boston, P.O. Box 3188, Gloucester, MA 01931, USA.
authors.forename: Molly E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Lutcavage
mesh_terms: D025041:Animal Migration / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D005398:Fisheries; D005399:Fishes / Q000502:physiology*; D060851:Gulf of America