Tagging of Pacific Pelagics (TOPP)

Tagging of Pacific Pelagics (TOPP)
Name	Tagging of Pacific Pelagics
Acronym	TOPP
Established	2000
Focus	Marine biology, animal tracking
Parent	Census of Marine Life
Country	United States

Tagging of Pacific Pelagics (TOPP) was a large-scale marine animal tracking program that operated as part of the Census of Marine Life and coordinated deployments across the Pacific Ocean to study pelagic species. The project integrated satellite telemetry, archival tagging, and oceanographic data to connect animal movements with physical processes, engaging institutions such as the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, University of California, Santa Cruz, and Scripps Institution of Oceanography. TOPP partnered with international programs and agencies including the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Science Foundation, and the Natural Environment Research Council, producing datasets used by researchers at Stanford University, University of Washington, and Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Overview

TOPP was initiated under the auspices of the Census of Marine Life to map distribution, migration, and behavior of pelagic megafauna across the North Pacific Ocean and adjacent seas, involving tagging of species such as white shark, leatherback sea turtle, blue whale, elephant seal, Pacific salmon, and albacore tuna. Fieldwork spanned collaborations among the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences, Hakodate University, and the Alaska SeaLife Center, using platforms like the research vessels RV Western Flyer, RV Melville, and RV John Martin. The program generated integrated products used by groups at the Smithsonian Institution, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, and Canadian Wildlife Service.

Objectives and Research Goals

TOPP aimed to quantify movement ecology to inform conservation measures endorsed by organizations such as International Union for Conservation of Nature, Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, and regional fisheries management bodies like the Pacific Salmon Commission. Scientific goals included linking animal migrations to oceanographic features characterized by institutions like the Scripps Institution of Oceanography and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, improving stock assessments used by the North Pacific Anadromous Fish Commission, and advancing fundamental theories in movement ecology promoted at conferences such as the International Congress on Conservation Biology and meetings of the American Geophysical Union.

Methods and Technology

TOPP deployed electronic tags developed with contributions from laboratories at Stanford University and companies associated with NASA technology transfer, employing satellite transmitters from systems used by Argos (satellite system), archival tags influenced by designs from the National Marine Fisheries Service, and pop-up satellite archival tags similar to those tested with support from the European Space Agency. Field methods included capture techniques practiced by teams from the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute and the Alaska SeaLife Center, and data were integrated with remote-sensing products from satellites operated by National Aeronautics and Space Administration and European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites. Analytical frameworks combined statistical tools developed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, movement models from researchers at University of California, Santa Cruz, and ocean circulation models used by groups at the National Center for Atmospheric Research.

Major Findings and Contributions

TOPP revealed long-distance migrations connecting foraging and breeding grounds for species documented at institutions like the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute and demonstrated the role of oceanographic features identified by NOAA and NASA in shaping animal distributions. Key contributions included evidence for trans-Pacific movements of white shark populations studied alongside researchers at Scripps Institution of Oceanography; documentation of leatherback turtle migrations informing policies debated at the International Whaling Commission; and mapping blue whale foraging linked to productivity fronts analyzed by Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. The project produced high-profile syntheses cited by agencies including the National Science Foundation and informed management by the Pacific Fisheries Management Council.

Collaborations and Funding

TOPP was funded through a mix of grants from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, program support from the Smithsonian Institution, and federal funding from the National Science Foundation and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Academic partners included Stanford University, University of California, Santa Cruz, University of Hawaii at Manoa, and University of British Columbia, while international collaborators included teams from Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Australian Museum, and University of Tokyo. Outreach and public engagement were delivered via partnerships with the Monterey Bay Aquarium and media collaborations involving the BBC and National Geographic Society.

Impact and Legacy

TOPP left a legacy of open datasets, methodological advances, and institutional networks that influenced subsequent initiatives such as the Ocean Tracking Network, the Global Ocean Observing System, and national programs supported by the European Union and Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology. Its interdisciplinary model—uniting expertise from Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, and international partners—helped mainstream satellite telemetry in conservation and fisheries science and informed multinational policy deliberations at forums including the United Nations General Assembly and regional fisheries organizations. Many researchers trained in TOPP now hold positions at institutions like University of Washington, NOAA Fisheries, and Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, continuing to build on TOPP-derived knowledge.

Category:Marine biology programs Category:Animal tagging