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.