London: Now, fish will have their private
lives pried into, thanks to scientists, who are using GPS tags
to track them underwater.
Until now it has been difficult to track fish with
any accuracy. Traditional GPS tags narrow the range to tens
of metres, but slow to get a satellite fix, a problem in tough
ocean conditions and when an animal surfaces only briefly.
But, a team led by David Sims of UK Marine Biological
Association in Plymouth has now been able to attach GPS tags
to sunfish, which actually use a system called Fastloc GPS to
get a location almost instantly.
According to the scientists, the tags can track
fish for long periods because a salt-water switch ensures the
power-hungry GPS only switches on when the fish nears surface.
The tags are towed 1.5 metres behind the fish, via a tether
attached to its dorsal fin, the `New Scientist` reported.
For their research, the scientists recorded three
sunfish covering up to 20 kilometres per day, revealing their
foraging patterns in new detail. One fish was tracked for more
than 90 days.
"The tags could be used for other species, too, such
as tuna, swordfish and sharks. This might make it possible to
discover biodiversity hotspots in the open ocean and monitor
fish stocks," Sims said.
The findings have been published in the latest edition
of the `PLoS One` journal.
Bureau Report
