The Magnetic Field Guided Salmon Home

Sockeye salmon when migrating, usually swim up to 4,000 miles out to sea. A few years later, using the radar in the body that can lead them back up the river where they were "born" to spawn their children. The scientists, fishing communities, and lay people have long wondered how salmon find their way to the river "home", through the distance and the time.

Sockeye salmon find their way home by using small changes in the Earth’s magnetic field. (Picture from: http://newswatch.nationalgeographic.com/)

The new study of the behavior of salmon and published in this week's issue of the Current Biology Journal. Results of the study, which was supported by Oregon Sea Grant and the National Science Foundation. Salmon to find their river homes with unique flavor signs, magnetic body reflected the track marks where the river originates. In the study, scientists examined 56 years of fisheries data documenting the return of sockeye salmon to the Fraser River in British Columbia - and the route they chose around Vancouver Island showed a correlation with changes in the intensity of the geomagnetic field. This is to identify the routes of salmon, taken from their goal area into the northern area, near the Aleutian Islands in Alaska or the Pacific Ocean.

The experts examined the Fraser River in British Columbia, Canada. Then the data is compared with the Earth's magnetic field intensity, at important locations in the salmon migration routes. Fact, the Earth has a magnetic field weakens, due to its proximity to the equator and the distance of the pole that is gradually changing every year. Therefore, the intensity of the magnetosphere at a particular location is unique and a little different from year to year.

A map of Vancouver Island. (Picture from: http://www.sott.net/)

Vancouver Island is situated right in front of the mouth of the Fraser River. It is a direct access block area, to the mouth of the river from the Pacific Ocean. The results showed that most of the magnetic field intensity are expected to be used to route around the salmon around Vancouver Island. In any given year, the salmon take a special route that has a sign on the areas most suitable magnetic strength, among others came from the Fraser River, when the first salmon swim from the river to the Pacific Ocean.

Sockeye swarm the Adams River in British Columbia, Canada. (Picture from: http://newswatch.nationalgeographic.com/)

"These results are consistent with the theory that since the juvenile salmon (ie learning and memory) magnetic signs their home rivers. Then look for signs of the same magnet during their spawning migration," said Nathan Putman, a postdoctoral researcher at Oregon State University and author of the study. The results of this study have long known that some animals use the Earth's magnetic field to adjust and follow the straight path.

Scientists are now using it for defense, which guides the nuclear-powered submarine back to "base harbor". This study provides the first empirical evidence about the animal's ability to "learn" about the magnetic field. The ability to use magnetic fields to find the magnetic power on the animals is a phenomenal discovery in behavioral biology. *** [EKA | FROM VARIOUS SOURCES | SOTT.NET | DEDI RISKOMAR | PIKIRAN RAKYAT 28022013]

Note: This blog can be accessed via your smart phone.