The Pelagic Fisheries Lab recently shared the data gained from one of the satellite-tagged bluefin tuna in their study. The 97-inch fish, which was tagged near Prince Edward Island in September 2024, travelled more than 11,000 miles in less than 10 months. From Canada, the fish moved offshore, and hugged the continental shelf as it headed southwest throughout October 2024. It charged inshore in November, hugging the coast of Long Island and New Jersey, continuing south and eventually spending the month of February off North Carolina.
View this post on Instagram
In March and April, the tuna once again began to cover large distances, moving from North Carolina to the Bahamas, past Florida and across the Gulf of Mexico, presumably to spawn. By June, the fish was back along the East Coast feeding and making its way north. The tag released in July, and was found in North Carolina.
You can learn more about the Pelagic Fisheries Lab here, as the continue to shed light on the life and habits of the iconic Atlantic bluefin tuna. To get an idea of the work they do, you can listen to our 2024 podcast with Dr. Walt Golet below: