The University of New Hampshire plans to develop a studies center to investigate large pelagic fishes.
The center will build upon work done by Associate Research Professor Dr. Molly Lutcavage, who has become well known for tagging and tracking bluefin tuna.
The new large pelagic research center will look at a number of species besides bluefin tuna, including large sharks, swordfish, sea turtles and other types of tuna. Most of these large species have seen dramatic declines in populations in the last twenty years, and most populations remain at low levels today.
The pelagic research center is currently under development, with full funding still pending. Research projects could get started sometime later this year. This center will complement the extensive Marine Program already in place at UNH, which offers studies and training in the fields of aquaculture, ocean engineering, ocean mapping and marine and estuarine biology.