Evidence of bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus) spawning in the Slope Sea region of the Northwest Atlantic from electronic tags

摘要

Atlantic bluefin tuna (ABT) are large, wide-ranging pelagic predators, which typically migrate between foraging regions in the North Atlantic andtwo principal spawning regions, the Gulf of Mexico and the Mediterranean Sea. A new spawning area has been described in the Slope Sea (SS)region off New England; however, the relationship between ABT that spawn in the SS and ABT using the principal spawning regions remainspoorly understood. We used electronic tags to examine the location, temperature, and diving behaviour of ABT in the SS, and identified 24individuals that were present during the spawning season (June–August) with tag data showing temperatures and behaviour consistent withspawning ABT. In general, the SS spawners had similar spatial ranges to Mediterranean-spawning ABT; however, some individuals displayeddistinct behaviours that were identified first in the Gulf of Mexico spawners. Using monthly spatial distributions, we estimated that the SSspawners have high exposure to fishing pressure relative to other ABT and may represent a disproportionate share of the West Atlantic catch.This analysis provides the first description of the behaviour of ABT frequenting this spawning ground, creating a foundation for integrating thisregion into multi-stock management and, potentially, conserving an important source of genetic diversity.