Five of the tagged halibut were released Monday in Resurrection Bay. Two others were left behind at the Alaska SeaLife Center in Seward, partly so Nielsen can watch how the fish cope with their tags but also so the center can display the surprisingly lively halibut to visitors. The flat-bodied fish adapted quickly in the month they were in captivity at the sea life center. They were being hand-fed within a week and were swimming to the surface of the center's holding pond to check things out. While the project is really to test the tags, Nielsen hopes to learn a little about halibut behavior over the next eight months.
Some people say fish caught off California come from Alaska.
Even the two captive halibut are scheduled to have their tags pop to the surface June 15. Though the tags can operate for up to three years, Nielsen wanted the trial to run just as long as necessary so she could assess how they work. While they've been used on other large fish species, such as tuna and marlin nearer the equator, this is the first test so far north, she said. The ultimate goal is to test this relatively new technology so it can be used in other studies, whether it is halibut, ling cod or king salmon, she said. Biologists understand a lot about salmon and other fish species in Alaska's rivers and streams, but little is known about how salmon behave, or even where they go, once they migrate to salt water.