Conservation

This is a pop up device employed for all the data collection you see on this page. This is a Pop Up Satellite Archival Tag. The nylon tip is coated with betadine to prevent infection, then inserted under the marlin skin, just like a normal “streamer” tag. The device is programmed to heat the loop of wire at the back end, melting the mono filament tether at a pre-set date. The egg shape at the other end is a float that carries it to the surface of the ocean. Once at the surface, the antennae transmits all the data collected (archived) over the sample time line – from the ocean surface up to an Argos Satellite – and then back down to Honolulu where Dr. Mike Musyl and associates work with it to produce the reports and maps in this section. They also utilize the data for specific research projects such as a Post Release Mortality Rate study of blue marlin in progress now.

Here are the travel tracks of 38 blue marlin released from Kona, Hawaii. NOTE: Not one fish swam to the west.

Marlin released near Johnson Atoll heading toward Hawaii from south southwest.

Marlin released near Majur heading toward Hawaii from the southwest.

Marlin released at Kona in late spring shows it stayed around Hawaii all summer. For the full report, Click Here>>

Marlin released at Great Barrier Reef shows it stayed around spawning zone for the “season” then departed for Solomon Islands.

Tag Reports

1. Blue Marlin, Tag No. 13187. October 16, 2002 to October 24, 2002.
2. Blue Marlin, Tag No. 20551. June 29, 2003 to July 17, 2003.
3. Blue Marlin, Tag No. 21158. July 13, 2003 to August 22, 2003.
4. Blue Marlin, Tag No. 21761. June 7, 2003 to September 29, 2003
5. Blue Marlin, Tag No. 26904. July 25, 2000 to September 13, 2000
6. Blue Marlin, Tag No. 38589. June 4, 2003 to July 29, 2003

Scientific Papers

1. A. Nielsen, et al. (2006) Improving light-based geolocation by including SST. In Fisheries Oceanography, 15:4, pp. 314-325.
2. J. R. Hyde, et al (2005) PCR Identification of Fish Eggs. In Marine Ecology Progress Series, Vol. 286, pp.269-277.
3. J. R. Hyde, et al (2006) Striped Marlin Spawning Off Hawaii. In Bulletin of Marine Science, Vol. 79, No. 3, pp. 683-690.