Issue 10, December 2009

VEMCO's V6 Transmitter Used to Study Capelin in Newfoundland

Dr. Gail Davoren of the University of Manitoba recently conducted a study of the movements as well as fine- and meso-scale habitat selection of spawning capelin (Mallotus villosus) in Newfoundland using VEMCO's new V6-180kHz tranmsitters and VR2W-180kHz receivers. Capelin is a very important forage fish of the smelt family found in the Atlantic and Arctic oceans whose abundance has widespread impacts on marine ecosystems.

Dr. Davoren, her students and fishing partner, Larry and crew, successfully implanted the V6-4L into 30 capelin in July 2009. The capelin were released and monitored for several weeks with 20 VR2W-180kHz receivers moored at various spawning locations around the coast. The data are being examined to test whether capelin select spawning habitat based on current bio-physical conditions. The telemetry data will be incorporated into existing movement models for this species.