Influence of temperature and oxygen on the distribution of blue marlin (Makaira nigricans) in the Central Pacific

Abstract

The blue marlin (Makaira nigricans) is a highly migratory pelagic predator of tropical and subtropical seas. Information on the habitat use of marine species is fundamental to understanding their ecology and population dynamics and is needed to inform responsible management strategies. Using a long‐term satellite tagging data set from The International Game Fish Association Great Marlin Race, we examined habitat use and how oxygen and temperature influence the horizontal and vertical distributions of blue marlin in the Central Pacific. Blue marlin primarily occurred in warm waters (26–30°C) and exhibited a diel bimodal depth distribution across the 5‐year data record (2009–2013), with fish spending the majority of their time near the surface at night and at deeper depths during the day (25–100 m). The depth distribution of blue marlin was limited in areas where low oxygen and/or temperature conditions occur closer to the surface, with the extent of habitat compression being greatest when both oxygen and temperature were limiting. The migrations of blue marlin appeared restricted during the 2010 La Niña, when increased equatorial upwelling resulted in an extension of the cold, low oxygen waters of the cold tongue into the Central Pacific, creating a barrier to the trans‐equatorial migrations that occurred during all other tagging years. If the frequency and intensity of La Niña events increases and the oxygen minimum layer continues to expand as has been predicted under certain climate change scenarios, the migratory behavior and habitat availability of blue marlin may be impacted.

Movement and thermal niche of the first satellite‐tagged Mediterranean spearfish (Tetrapturus belone)

“…The limited vertical distribution of the Mediterranean spearfish, primarily within the warm mixed layer, is consistent with habitat compression experienced by other pelagic billfishes (Carlisle et al., ; Prince & Goodyear, ). The spearfish spent less time at depth in areas with a shallower, stronger thermocline, and more time at depth in areas with a deeper, weaker thermocline, indicating spatially variable thermal constraints to its vertical distribution.…”

Interpreting vertical movement behavior with holistic examination of depth distribution: a novel method reveals cryptic diel activity patterns of Chinook salmon in the Salish Sea

“…Transmitters and data loggers can provide data on the horizontal movements of animals, and also their depth distributions and vertical movements, yielding many insights into their behavior. Analysis of vertical movement data may reveal that a species' depth distribution is influenced by factors including temperature [1,2], oxygen [3], the former two in concert [4], light level [5,6], predation risk [7], prey movements [8,9], and foraging efficiency [10,11]. Consequently, vertical distributions often vary with the seasons and diel periods [12,13].…”

Genome‐wide SNPs resolve spatiotemporal patterns of connectivity within striped marlin (Kajikia audax), a broadly distributed and highly migratory pelagic species

“…Such mismatches may be K E Y W O R D S DArT, genetic connectivity, highly migratory, large pelagic fish, population genomics, SNPs, striped marlin, temporal stability especially problematic for striped marlin because this species is estimated to be overfished or experiencing unsustainable levels of fishing effort in regions across the Indo-Pacific (IATTC, 2018;WCPFC, 2012WCPFC, , 2018. Studies that provide information to improve rangewide management and conservation efforts for striped marlin are timely not only because of the unsustainable status of most stocks (Collette et al, 2011;Cullis-Suzuki & Pauly, 2010), but also because habitat utilization and seasonal movements of striped marlin and other large pelagic fishes rely on environmental cues progressively influenced by a changing global climate (Carlisle et al, 2017;Dell'Apa, Carney, Davenport, & Vernon, 2018;Duery, Bopp, & Maury, 2014;Hazen et al, 2012;Mislan, Deutsch, Brill, Dunne, & Sarmiento, 2017;Muhling, Lee, Lamkin, & Liu, 2011;Pentz, Klenk, Ogle, & Fisher, 2018).…”