Understanding movement patterns of juvenile and adult sablefish in Alaska
To better understand the ecology, distribution, and movements of North Pacific groundfishes, I will investigate improvements to geolocation of electronically tagged sablefish Anoplopoma fimbria in the region. Geolocation is achieved by comparing (1) information recorded by a sensor in an electronic tag attached to a fish with (2) known or reasonably estimated field values, whereby the individual’s most probable movement path in between two known locations, the release and recovery sites, can be reconstructed. For demersal fishes in Alaska, bathymetry has been used to constrain potential locations, and magnetic field has been explored with more limited success. Daily temperature-depth profiles may improve estimated locations, but a reference of known or estimated temperatures at depth is needed first. I will consider a potential reference for temperatures at depth, and then use a combination of bathymetry and temperature-depth profiles to better understand movement patterns of juvenile and adult sablefish.