A new study was published documenting the migration of adult American eels (Anguilla rostrata) on their 1000-mile journey from North American freshwater rivers, like the Bronx River, to their spawning grounds in the Sargasso Sea in the North Atlantic. Eels are catadromous, meaning they spawn in salt water and live the majority of their lives in freshwater. While it has been understood for over a century that eel larvae begin their lives in the Sargasso, this study is the first to document the movements of adults back out to their spawning areas. Scientists used satellite-tracking tags to document the journey, demonstrating that the eels first travel along the continental shelf and then out to the deeper ocean. Studies like this help identify migration routes and environmental cues so that we may better understand the lifecycle of this important aquatic species.
Way to go, eel #28!
