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Studies of heat balance in free-swimming swordfish
- PIER Research Staff:
- Chugey Sepulveda, Ph.D.
Scott Aalbers, M.S.
Tom Fullam
- Collaborative Researchers:
- Diego Bernal, Ph.D. (University of Massachusetts,
Dartmouth)
- Timeline:
- August 2007; on-going.
Project Objectives:

1.
Examine the core body temperature of free-swimming swordfish using pop-off
satellite transmitters.
2.
Analyze the muscle heating and cooling rates to test hypotheses regarding
the effects of body temperature and surface basking
Background:
This
research uses modified PSATs
to log internal body temperature of free swimming swordfish. Swordfish are
tagged while swimming at the surface with a harpoon modified to carry the PSAT. The transmitter package has a thermistor that records body
temperature at the location of the tag anchor. Once the tag releases from
the swordfish, the PIER team sets out to recover the transmitter package.
Heating and cooling rates of the muscle are examined for all dive events,
including basking events.
 
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