Seamounts: Rest Stops and Filling Stations for Tuna and Swordfish

At a workshop held in New Caledonia in March of this year, scientists examined the pivotal role of seamounts in relation to commercially important pelagic species such as albacore (Thunnus alalunga), bluefin tuna (Thunnus orientalis), bigeye tuna (Thunnus obesus), yellowfin tuna (Thunnus albacares) and swordfish (Xiphias gladius) and concluded that there is strong evidence of a link between these species and seamounts. Akin to oceanic filling stations or rest stops, the seamounts act as a foraging habitat for pelagic fish which are attracted by the high concentrations of zooplankton and micronekton found around them.

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