by Erin Loury
Science Communication Intern/M.S.
Candidate at Moss Landing Marine Labs
The Gulf of
Mexico oil spill may spell big trouble for the Atlantic bluefin tuna, one of
the most commercially valuable species that is already beleaguered by overfishing. The area of the Deepwater Horizon
spill coincides with critical bluefin spawning grounds, which the fish return
to with amazing fidelity, a new study finds.
Dr. Steven Teo of the
University of California at Davis and Dr. Barbara Block of Stanford University
recently published
a paper in the journal PLoS
ONE, which reveals pronounced differences in habitat use
between bluefin and yellowfin tuna in the Gulf of Mexico. Using electronic tagging and fisheries
catch data, Teo and Block discovered that bluefin
are highly specific in their habitat use. These giant fish select cool, productive water masses in the
slope waters of the northern Gulf of Mexico, with a site fidelity reminiscent
of salmon returning to their natal streams. In contrast to yellowfin tuna, which are more widely
distributed throughout the warm Gulf waters, "The bluefins' habitat
requirements are relatively exact, so we can predict with reasonable accuracy
where bluefin tuna are likely to be spawning at any given time based on
oceanographic data,” Dr. Teo said.
Unfortunately, this
predictive power leads to a troubling prognosis in the wake of the
Deepwater
Horizon oil spill. Read more...
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