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 bio-logging 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.