Title page: Field Testing of a novel application to examine habitat use and migration patterns of spiny dogfish (Squalus acanth

Project objectives and scientific hypotheses: Central to any successful fishery management plan is the availability of accurate, detailed and updated life history information on the species. Several reports, including the current spiny dogfish FMP, outline an extensive list of research needs that would help build a successful management plan for this species. Two of the most important questions regionally, is whether or not spiny dogfish in the Gulf of Maine should be considered as part of the NW Atlantic stock and what areas of the Gulf of Maine are represent essential fish habitats for this species. Satellite tags offer a means to study the real time movement patterns and how an animal utilizes its environment. The success of this technique on several marine species, suggest that the use of this technology will provide insight into dogfish movements and habitat use in the Gulf of Maine. If the method in this pilot effort proves successful, the use of these techniques may be expanded to determine whether or not spiny dogfish should be considered a unit stock in Gulf of Maine and the determination of EFH for this species. Thus our goals are to test the feasibility of using satellite tag technology to track spiny dogfish movement in the Gulf of Maine.