For the first time, scientists at the University of Tasmania’s Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies (IMAS) have successfully tagged Yellowtail Kingfish (Seriola lalandi) with acoustic transmitters to study their movement patterns in Tasmanian waters. The transmitters ‘ping’ nearby receivers installed on Fish Aggregation Devices (FADs)—yellow buoys deployed around Tasmania to attract fish—allowing researchers to track how long Kingfish remain near each FAD and whether they move between them. This research is particularly timely as Tasmania’s warming coastal waters have seen a growing presence of Kingfish, traditionally a mainland game fish. The project aims to better understand the species’ behaviour, habitat use, and potential long-distance movements, including travel back to mainland Australia. The study is funded by the FRDC and the Tasmanian Government through the Sustainable Marine Research Collaborative Agreement.

University of Tasmania full article available here: https://www.utas.edu.au/about/news-and-stories/articles/2025/scientists-use-acoustic-tech-to-track-popular-game-fish-for-first-time-in-tasmania