CCMAR monitoring detected bluefin tuna measuring almost three meters

The monitoring network of researchers at the University of Algarve's Marine Science Center (CCMAR-Algarve) detected a bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus) measuring almost 3 meters in the Sesimbra area, near the Arrábida mountain range, known as the Luiz Saldanha marine reserve. This is an unusual size for this species in Portuguese waters.

This monitoring network records the passage of tagged animals along the Portuguese coast, from Sesimbra to Vila Real de Santo António. The data is recorded when the animal passes within range of the underwater receivers, but can only be accessed when the devices are physically collected, which happens twice a year. This tuna, in particular, was tagged by a team of researchers from Stanford University (USA) in September 2018, in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, east of Canada, and visited the waters of the Luiz Saldanha marine reserve in early August last year, where it stayed for almost a week.

This species lives in the Atlantic Ocean, the Mediterranean, and the Black Sea, moving in schools and making long migrations for feeding and reproduction. This record of its passage through Sesimbra, along with records from other monitoring networks of this type, is important for the study and monitoring of these migrations.

The records made by monitoring networks for various species contribute to global knowledge of the seas and the sharing of information among experts from various institutions worldwide.

CCMAR-Algarve, which appears in the latest FCT Atlas of R&D Units, focuses its research on studying marine ecosystems and the impact that climate change has on them, as well as discovering ways to manage and use marine resources sustainably.