The ocean’s movescape: fisheries management in the bio-logging decade (2018–2028)

Abstract

Although movement has always played an important role in fisheries science, movement patterns are changing with changing ocean conditions. This affects availability to capture, the spatial scale of needed governance, and our food supply. Technological advances make it possible to track marine fish (and fishermen) in ways not previously possible and tracking data is expected to grow exponentially over the next ten years -the biologging decade. In this article, we identify fisheries management data needs that tracking data can help fill, ranging from: improved estimates of natural mortality and abundance to providing the basis for short-term fisheries closures (i.e. dynamic closures) and conservation of biodiversity hotspots and migratory corridors. However, the sheer size of the oceans, lack of GPS capability, and aspects of marine fish life history traits (e.g., adult/ offspring size ratios, high mortality rates) create challenges to obtaining this data. We address these challenges and forecast how they will be met in the next 10 years through increased use of drones and sensor networks, decreasing tag size with increased sensor capacity trends, the ICARUS initiative to increase satellite tracking capacity, and improved connectivity between marine and terrestrial movement researchers and databases.

Ecological and Evolutionary Consequences of Environmental Change and Management Actions for Migrating Fish

“…Knowledge of how internal attributes, social interactions, and environmental factors (Table 1; Figure 1) influence variation in migratory behavior, timing and distance among species, populations and individuals of fish (including many salmonids) is incomplete. However, recent technological developments in bio-logging have advanced the ability to obtain high-resolution data on fish movements, inform about internal and external drivers of movements, help illuminate the consequences of movements for individual performance and population fitness, and provide answers to the questions how, where, when, and why fish migrate (Nathan et al, 2008;Cooke et al, 2013;Wilmers et al, 2015;Nordahl et al, 2018Nordahl et al, , 2019Lowerre-Barbieri et al, 2019). This may improve our understanding of diversity, and allow for more reliable predictions of the consequences that exploitation, management actions and climate change may have for migratory fish.…”

One Hundred Pressing Questions on the Future of Global Fish Migration Science, Conservation, and Policy

“…It can be challenging to evaluate how preservation, restoration, or degradation related to a migratory species' habitat can also affect the broader ecosystem, including human dependencies and economic activity (see Box 1 for some examples). A complete understanding of the diversity and functional ecology of migratory fishes is essential to making effective conservation and management decisions (Lowerre-Barbieri et al, 2019). Migration research has expanded in recent decades with increased access and application of technologies such as electronic tags, chemical and molecular tracers, acoustic imaging, telecommunications, and bioinformatics (Secor, 2015a;Lowerre-Barbieri et al, 2019).…”

“…A complete understanding of the diversity and functional ecology of migratory fishes is essential to making effective conservation and management decisions (Lowerre-Barbieri et al, 2019). Migration research has expanded in recent decades with increased access and application of technologies such as electronic tags, chemical and molecular tracers, acoustic imaging, telecommunications, and bioinformatics (Secor, 2015a;Lowerre-Barbieri et al, 2019). The number of taxa investigated is also expanding (see Box 1) and movement ecology is increasingly integrated within hydro-ecology, oceanography, and fisheries and habitat management (Hidalgo et al, 2016;Birnie-Gauvin et al, 2019b) to begin addressing fundamental questions related to migratory fish ecology and conservation.…”

“…There have been an increasing number of studies to better our understanding of how different human disturbances influence and affect diverse migratory species. With increasing recognition of the importance of protecting migratory fish species, there have been rapid developments in our understanding of how these stressors operate and in the appropriate mitigations needed to limit their impacts on migratory fishes (Lucas and Baras, 2001;Brink et al, 2018;Lowerre-Barbieri et al, 2019).…”

Biologging Special Feature

“…Progress in this broad field has been exceptional in the last decade (Baratchi, Meratnia, Havinga, Skidmore, & Toxopeus, 2013;Hussey et al, 2015;Kays, Crofoot, Jetz, & Wikelski, 2015;Wilmers et al, 2015;Brisson-Curadeau et al, 2017;Tibbetts, 2017;Harcourt et al, 2019; Lowerre-Barbieri, Kays, Thorson, & Wikelski, 2019), with exciting ongoing developments often occurring outside the field of animal ecology, including in different disciplines such as engineering, physics or computer science. As such, the Journal of Animal Ecology issued an Open Call in 2018 for a Special Feature on 'Biologging', with the aim to showcase the novel developments in the field and the range of ecological questions which can now be addressed.…”