Marine heatwaves are becoming increasingly frequent, forcing fish populations to move in search of cooler waters. These movements affect fishers and their ability to catch fish. They also impact how marine ecosystems and fisheries are ultimately managed.
To address this challenge, we need to know where the fish are in real-time. But since we can’t put a GPS on every fish, scientists looked at the next best thing: the boats that follow them.
A recent paper by Global Fishing Watch research partner Heather Welch (University of California, Santa Cruz) does exactly this. Her research demonstrates that we can use vessel GPS data to track fish movements during heatwaves with incredible accuracy.
Click on the image below to see the interview (including both me and Heather) on ABC7 News:
Originally published on Linkedin.