High-tech marine natural history: creating evidence to support conservation management

In recent decades, the use of small high-tech electronic tags (known as biologging) has revolutionised our understanding of marine species movement, behaviour and distribution. Data from these tags are now increasingly used to aid marine management decision-making. In this talk I will describe some of the animal tracking projects active in our local waters looking to build knowledge on Atlantic bluefin tuna that see Devon and Cornwall waters as home. We will look at the inspiring migrations these animals make, the variety of technologies being used in the region and touch on emerging research that seeks to integrate tracking and genetic studies to deepen our understanding of these supreme migrants.