Poleward catch displacement of blackfin tuna Thunnus atlanticus in the southwestern Atlantic Ocean: Possible effect of increasing water temperatures

Abstract

Blackfin tuna Thunnus atlanticus often inhabits warm waters of the western Atlantic Ocean from 40°N (Cape Cod, USA) to 22°S (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil). We recorded the first catches of the species in southern Brazil (34°S) and described its new distribution and fishing grounds. Since 2007, annual catches per trip and frequency of blackfin tuna landings increased for three oceanic fishing fleets in Southern Brazil. The spatial distribution of higher catches and the center of gravity of spatial fishing records moved poleward. Sea surface temperature anomalies for the region warmed from 1960 to 2019, and anomalies were primarily positive after 2000. Evidence suggests that the distribution of blackfin tuna moved poleward by six degrees of latitude (~660 km). The causes of this distribution extension were unclear, but ocean warming was the most likely driver.