Prediction of Albacore Tuna Habitat Hot Spots

Ocean hot spots are key pelagic habitats for tuna. A better understanding of these biologically rich areas leads to one important step in better tuna management. The main scientific findings of this study are presentation methods on how to detect, identify and predict potential habitat hot spots for albacore tuna from satellite remote sensing and geographic information system perspective. It is important to note that the pelagic habitats correspond synoptically to a number of environmental factors such as SST, chlorophyll-a and sea surface height anomaly (geostrophic currents). Statistical models and spatial analyses developed in this book to predict the spatial and temporal dynamics of the ocean rich habitats for tuna are significantly consistent with fishery observation data. In particular, these models effectively discover high probability of tuna occurrence and abundance and seem better to explain potential habitat hot spots and migration pattern for albacore tuna.