Natures wonders: glass eels migrate with magnetism (Introduction)

by David Turell , Friday, October 18, 2019, 20:09 (1652 days ago) @ David Turell

A followup study by the same lab:

https://phys.org/news/2019-10-uncovers-magnetic-memory-european-glass.html

"A new study led by researchers at the University of Miami (UM) Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science and at the Institute of Marine Research in Norway found that European glass eels use their magnetic sense to "imprint" a memory of the direction of water currents in the estuary where they become juveniles. This is the first direct evidence that a species of fish uses its internal magnetic compass to form a memory of current direction.

"'It's an important step forward in understanding the migratory behavior of the commercially important European eel and in expanding our knowledge of the orientation mechanisms that fish use to migrate," said Alessandro Cresci, a Ph.D. student at the UM Rosenstiel School and first author of the paper. "This research should provide awareness that tiny young eels can accomplish incredible tasks to migrate."

***

"The research team collected over 200 glass eels from various estuaries in the archipelago of Austevoll, Norway flowing in different directions: north, south, southeast or northwest. The fish were then placed in a magnetic laboratory, the "MagLab," where magnetic north was rotated to observe their magnetic orientation . In each case the eels oriented towards the magnetic direction of the prevailing tidal current occurring at their recruitment estuary at the time of the tests.

"The findings show that glass eels use their magnetic compass to memorize the magnetic direction of tidal flows in their recruitment estuary, which may help them orient in moving water during migration."

Comment: More evidence about the use of our magnetic field, which is created by our iron-nickel core, in our special planet for life to appear and survive. protected from the nasty cosmic rays that are out here. God protects what He creates.