First use of satellite tags to examine movement and habitat use of big skates Beringraja binoculata in the Gulf of Alaska Marine Ecology Progress Series

Big skate Beringraja binoculata is the most frequently landed skate in the Gulf of Alaska portion of the Northeast Pacific Ocean, with recent stock assessment surveys showing relatively healthy skate stocks and continued interest from the commercial fishing industry to increase skate landings. Considered a data-poor species, there is a need for additional ecological information on big skates, including movement patterns and habitat use. We deployed pop-up satellite archival transmitting (PSAT) tags on 8 big skates in the Gulf of Alaska and set the tags to release 1 yr after deployment. The minimum distance traveled by big skates varied between 6 and 205 km, with 1 individual traveling at least 2100 km based on light geolocation data. Three individuals showed evidence of having made long-range movement and crossed at least 1 management boundary, and 3 remained relatively close to their tagging locations. Two tags did not report. The PSAT tags also extended the maximum documented depth of big skates to over 500 m and confirmed that they are thermally tolerant, occupying waters between 2 and 18°C. Because the total catch of big skate is divided into multiple areas and limited movement between areas is assumed, information from this study will aid in the development of appropriate spatial management plans for this species.