OTN Helps Tag Giant Atlantic Bluefin Tuna off Nova Scotia

Captain Dennis Cameron oxygenates the gills while crewman Carl Cameron and Dalhousie Ph.D. candidate Aaron Spares measure the tuna and Dr. Steve Wilson, Stanford University, secures the pop-up satellite tag.

Photo by Naomi Pleizier, Dalhousie Science Co-op student

2009 marks the third straight year of tagging Atlantic bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus) with electronic tags in Atlantic Canada. The project is led by Dr. Barbara Block of Stanford University and OTN acting Senior Project Manager Dr. Mike Stokesbury, who work with Captains Dennis Cameron, Steve McInnis, Bernie Chisholm, and Pete Sutherland of the Gulf NS Tuna Fisherman’s Association and Captains Bruce Keus and Ross Keus of the PEI Tuna Fisherman’s Association. Tag-A-Giant researchers Dr. Steven Wilson and Robbie Schallert, Dalhousie Ph.D. candidate Aaron Spares, and Dalhousie Science Co-op student Naomi Pleizier worked with the fisherman to catch and tag bluefin tuna in the waters off Port Hood, Nova Scotia in October, 2009.

Bluefin tuna are one of the ocean’s most impressive animals; these streamlined giants can reach a mass of 680 kilograms, and some of the largest are found in the North Atlantic off Atlantic Canada. This species is heavily fished and studies indicate that populations have been decreasing. For this reason, researchers and fishers are eager to study their migration and behavioural patterns in order to provide important information for fisheries managers, such as where the fish migrate to for reproduction.

To this end, the group spent three weeks in Port Hood battling inclement weather in order to tag these magnificent fish. A total of ten tuna were tagged, nine of which now carry acoustic tags that can be detected by OTN's and other acoustic receiver arrays. These fish also carry pop-up satellite tags that will detach in the spring and give additional insight into the tuna’s movements over the previous eight months. The team was pleased with another successful year of tagging and looks forward to gathering the results.

Visit the Tag-A-Giant blog to learn more about the tagging team’s adventures in Cape Breton, or visit the OTN Multimedia Gallery to view additional images.

Story by Naomi Pleizier, Dalhousie Science Co-op student