Discover the latest in ARF Pacific Albacore Tuna research.

These studies are peer-reviewed and conducted by scientists at independently funded organizations.

Dynamic human, oceanographic, and ecological factors mediate transboundary fishery overlap across the Pacific high seas
Timothy H. Frawley, Barbara Muhling, Stephanie Brodie, Hannah Blondin, Heather Welch, Martin C. Arostegui, Steven J. Bograd, Camrin D. Braun, Megan A. Cimino, Nima Farchadi, Elliott L. Hazen, Desiree Tommasi, Michael Jacox, Institute of Marine Sciences - University of California, Santa Cruz, NOAA Fisheries - Southwest Fisheries Science Center, Hopkins Marine Station - Stanford University, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, San Diego State University, University of California Davis, NOAA Earth System Research Laboratory Ericka Carlson Timothy H. Frawley, Barbara Muhling, Stephanie Brodie, Hannah Blondin, Heather Welch, Martin C. Arostegui, Steven J. Bograd, Camrin D. Braun, Megan A. Cimino, Nima Farchadi, Elliott L. Hazen, Desiree Tommasi, Michael Jacox, Institute of Marine Sciences - University of California, Santa Cruz, NOAA Fisheries - Southwest Fisheries Science Center, Hopkins Marine Station - Stanford University, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, San Diego State University, University of California Davis, NOAA Earth System Research Laboratory Ericka Carlson

Dynamic human, oceanographic, and ecological factors mediate transboundary fishery overlap across the Pacific high seas

The management and conservation of tuna and other transboundary marine species have to date been limited by an incomplete understanding of the oceanographic, ecological and socioeconomic factors mediating fishery overlap and interactions, and how these factors vary across expansive, open ocean habitats. Despite advances in fisheries monitoring and biologging technology, few attempts have been made to conduct integrated ecological analyses at basin scales relevant to pelagic fisheries and the highly migratory species they target. Here, we use vessel tracking data, archival tags, observer records, and machine learning to examine inter- and intra-annual variability in fisheries overlap (2013–2020) of five pelagic longline fishing fleets with North Pacific albacore tuna (Thunnus alalunga, Scombridae).

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A shallow scattering layer structures the energy seascape of an open ocean predator
Martin C. Arostegui, Barbara Muhling, Emmett Culhane, Heidi Dewar, Stephanie S. Koch, Camrin D. Braun, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Institute of Marine Sciences - University of California, Santa Cruz, NOAA Fisheries - Southwest Fisheries Science Center, Thomas More University Jade Gonzales Martin C. Arostegui, Barbara Muhling, Emmett Culhane, Heidi Dewar, Stephanie S. Koch, Camrin D. Braun, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Institute of Marine Sciences - University of California, Santa Cruz, NOAA Fisheries - Southwest Fisheries Science Center, Thomas More University Jade Gonzales

A shallow scattering layer structures the energy seascape of an open ocean predator

Large predators frequent the open ocean where subsurface light drives visually based trophic interactions. However, we lack knowledge on how predators achieve energy balance in the unproductive open ocean where prey biomass is minimal in well-lit surface waters but high in dim midwaters in the form of scattering layers. We use an interdisciplinary approach to assess how the bioenergetics of scattering layer forays by a model predator vary across biomes. We show that the mean metabolic cost rate of daytime deep foraging dives to scattering layers decreases as much as 26% from coastal to pelagic biomes. The more favorable energetics offshore are enabled by the addition of a shallow scattering layer that, if not present, would otherwise necessitate costlier dives to deeper layers. The unprecedented importance of this shallow scattering layer challenges assumptions that the globally ubiquitous primary deep scattering layer constitutes the only mesopelagic resource regularly targeted by apex predators.

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