Risk and Reward in Foraging Migrations of North Pacific Albacore Determined From Estimates of Energy Intake and Movement Costs

Contributors: Barbara A. Muhling, Stephanie Snyder, Elliott L. Hazen, Rebecca E. Whitlock, Heidi Dewar, Jong-Yeon Park, Charles A. Stock, Barbara A. Block

Organizations: Institute of Marine Sciences, University of California, Santa Cruz • NOAA Fisheries, Southwest Fisheries Science Center • Department of Biological Sciences, Thomas More University • Department of Aquatic Resources, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences • Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Jeonbuk National University • Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration • Hopkins Marine Station, Stanford University

Summary: Archival tags are implanted in the body cavity of fish and record the internal body temperature at frequent intervals. This study used these temperature recordings to identify times and areas of feeding to examine the benefits vs costs of moving to seasonal feeding or wintering grounds that had been previously identified (Childers et al. 2011). The migratory paths and increased feeding were found in areas of estimated high plankton concentrations in the California Current and the North Pacific Transition Zone.