| dc.description | The understanding of movement, distribution and environmental preferences of large marine predators is necessary for their proper management and conservation. This information can be used by managers to make informed decisions on the vulnerability of species in directed and by-catch fisheries. Also, it can be used to form a baseline for ecological impact assessment as the climate changes and as anthropogenic exploitation of terrestrial and marine environments increases. In this thesis, I report on the results of electronic tagging studies of two large marine predators, Atlantic bluefin tuna ( Thunnus thynnus) and Greenland sharks (Somniosus microcephalus ). In addition, I propose a hypothesis of early life imprinting that may enable fishes to home to natal spawing grounds through relatively featureless environments. Through the tagging studies, new information has been gathered on the life histories of these enigmatic marine species. This information is crucial to the proper management and conservation of Atlantic bluefin tuna. Also, the study provides new information on the distribution, environmental preferences and behaviour of Greenland sharks of which little was previously known. | en_US |
