Downloading data and changing batteries on receivers in Bergen City center

During spring and early summer, Saron and Lars Martin have been out in field maintaining our receivers that are located in the city center of Bergen that are deployed as a part of our BOATS and PUFFINS projects. The receivers are tracking species such as tagged cod, pollock, lobster, and eel in relation to earlier, ongoing, and upcoming restoration of the seabed in the fjord around the city center, a restoration project led byu the Municipality of Bergen.

Here you can see a picture from Puddefjorden in the city center.

They changed batteries and downloaded data before the receivers were redeployed again. Often, the ropes and the receiver itself are covered by marine life that has been growing for months, for instance mussels, algea, and tunicates. Interestingly, two receivers located just one km apart may be covered by quite different marine life, which illustrate that although the marine environment is very connected, marine species grow in different areas.

The figure below shows several months of the movement patterns of one tagged lobster in the inner bay in the city center. This is a great example of how we can use acoustic telemetry to estimate the movement and habitat use of lobsters and other aquatic animals.