Star-Oddi has developed Underwater Tagging Equipment (UTE) for tagging fish down in the oceans. Being the first company to offer equipment for this purpose makes Star-Oddi a pioneer in the technology of tagging fish underwater. The equipment has revolutionized methods for fish tagging and fisheries research. The equipment is inserted in the ship's fishing trawl net to perform the operation underwater.
- The UTE is specially designed for tagging deepwater fish that cannot survive changes in pressure and surface temperatures
- It prevents the need for hauling the fish to the surface for tagging and release
- Less time is spent in handling the fish, which leads to increased tagging efficiency
- Fish is tagged in its natural environment, avoiding stress factors as pressure and temperature changes and therefore decreases tagging mortality.
The UTE opens new fields in fish research, enabling researchers to tag deepwater species that have not been previously tagged, and can not survive being brought to the surface. The UTE can tag fish at hundreds of meters depth. Recapture of tags released from the UTE is dependent on fisheries. The tags will help scientists to learn more about the behavior of various fish species, and provide information on fish migration, distribution, feeding behavior, vertical and horizontal movements and stock assessment. Data from the tags will further provide valuable information for the management of the fishery resources and help with decision making. Both electronic tags (measuring temperature and depth), and dummy tags, can be used in the UTE.
In the development process, a few experimental cruises were conducted, where the fish was surfaced after the tagging procedure by UTE, to analyse the success of the tagging.
In October 2003 there was a successful tagging cruise, when 200 redfish were tagged at 500m depth in the Irminger Sea. Here you can read more about the cruise.
In June 2004, the Marine Research Institute (MRI) in Iceland, along with a team of experts from Star-Oddi, tagged 552 redfish at depths from 500m to 800m, using the Underwater Tagging Equipment (UTE) made by Star-Oddi.
In June 2005 MRI were able to tag 1024 redfish in a successful cruise. Thereof, 49 fish were tagged with electronic tags DST micro, measuring depth and temperature. Tagging depth was 500-800 m.
In August 2006 MRI tagged 646 redfish, thereof 38 with electronic tags DST micro.
The counter below shows the number of redfish that have been recaptured from the tagging cruises.
In order to use the UTE, a vessel equipped with a fishing trawl with cable wire is required. The control unit* in the UTE is attached to the cable wire. The UTE is placed at the end of a fishing trawl and launched into the ocean. Fish in the trawl are diverted into the UTE, where they are tagged and released. The researcher controls all tagging from a PC computer onboard that is linked via the cable wire to the UTE. The UTE is equipped with underwater cameras, enabling the user to view (from different angles) on line video images from the UTE.
The UTE is developed in co-operation with the Marine Institute of Iceland, Grandi (a large fishery company in Iceland) and the Research Council of Iceland.
1. As a fish is inside the trawl and approaches the equipment at the cod-end of the trawl, it is enclosed by a grid which diverts the fish into tagging place. The fish is viewed through the onboard video camera, and the tagging gun is moved into position.
2. A knife makes a small incision into the skin of the fish for the DST tag to be pressed into its body cavity. Although the tag is inside the fish a small hose hangs outside to allow its identification.
3. After tagging the fish it is released through a channel in the device and out into open water. Each fish can be tagged in just a few seconds, much quicker than existing methods. The operation is controlled by the scientist sitting at a computer onboard the vessel. He or she is able to see the fish on-line through the installed camera and operate the device via a cable wire. The only requirement for the vessel is that it is equipped with a standard trawl, and a cable wire.
Download material:
A PDF file with photos and information (2 Mb)
View a video of the UTE in the ocean (1,3 Mb)
Inside the trawl (2 Mb)
Published Scientific Papers on UTE:
ICES paper 2006
ICES poster 2004
EEZ International 2004
|
Size (dimensions)
H x W x L |
100 cm x 140 cm x 300 cm |
| Weight in air |
650 kg |
| Base material |
Stainless steel, low corrosion |
| Operational pressure/depth |
100 bar/1000m |
| Communication |
Standard cable wire transfers signals between ship and UTE. This includes measurements, video from four underwater cameras, and the control of all tagging functions. |
| Video cameras |
Black and white |
| Light |
Helical bulb. Light filter optionally attached, allowing only red light through in order to protect the eyes of the fish |
| Actuators |
Hydraulic |
| Measured parameters |
|
| Temperature |
-2°c to 40°c (28°F to 104°F) |
| Depth/pressure |
0 to 1000 m/ 0 to100 bar |
| UTE inclination |
Roll and pitch +/- 45° |
| Hydraulic pressure |
0 to 250 bar |
| UTE control unit |
PPC (Programmable Process Controller) Communication unit |
| |
Light and video switching actuators |
| |
Hydraulic pump, control unit remote controlled hydraulic pressure |
| PC Control Unit |
Standard PC |
| |
UTE tagging software with video card |
| |
Communication unit, composite video output for VCR |
| |
Power supply for charging the battery container |
| Battery container lifetime |
Appr. 4 hours (rechargeable) |
| Tagging gun |
Remote controlled, can be moved in two directions |
| Capacity for tags |
59 tags |
| Tags applied |
DST micro dummy tags
DST micro electronic tags, measuring temperature and depth |
| Size of tags (diameter x length) |
8.3 mm x 25.4 mm (plus the plastic tube) |
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