Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Migration

Migration

Migration is long-range, seasonal movement from one region or habitat to another. This common strategy, carried out by many different organisms around the world, is an adaptive response that typically corresponds to changes in an organism’s environment, like resource availability or climate. Migrations can involve huge groups of thousands of animals as well as single individuals traveling alone and can range from thousands of kilometers to just a few hundred meters.

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

Contrasting life-history strategies drive divergent microplastic responses in a cryptic marine nematode species complex.

Chemosphere·2026

Same author

Unusual patterns of organohalogenated compounds in fillet, liver, and brain of dab (Limanda limanda) from the North and Baltic Seas.

Marine pollution bulletin·2026

Same author

Six decades of animal accelerometry: trends, applications, and future directions.

Movement ecology·2026

Same author

Restricted movement range of European eels (Anguilla anguilla L.) in an oceanic island stream.

Journal of fish biology·2026

Same author

FishDiveR: wavelet analyses and machine learning provide robust classification of animal behaviour from time-depth data.

Movement ecology·2026

Same author

Polystyrene microplastic exposure reduces fecundity and delays development of the nematode Litoditis marina despite unaltered food absorption.

Marine pollution bulletin·2025

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Oct 7, 2025

Implantation of a New Micro Acoustic Tag in Juvenile Pacific Lamprey and American Eel

Implantation of a New Micro Acoustic Tag in Juvenile Pacific Lamprey and American Eel

Published on: March 16, 2019

Mapping silver eel migration routes in the North Sea.

Pieterjan Verhelst^1,2, Jan Reubens³, Johan Coeck⁴

¹Marine Biology Research Group, Ghent University, Krijgslaan 281, 9000, Ghent, Belgium. pieterjan.verhelst@inbo.be.

Scientific Reports

|January 11, 2022

Summary

This study maps European eel (Anguilla anguilla) migration routes in the North Sea, revealing two distinct paths and documenting successful English Channel crossings for the first time. Eel migration speeds varied significantly, likely due to water currents.

More Related Videos

The Floating Lab: Standard Operational Procedure for Collecting and Filtering Seawater Samples from Operating Ferries for Environmental DNA Analysis

The Floating Lab: Standard Operational Procedure for Collecting and Filtering Seawater Samples from Operating Ferries for Environmental DNA Analysis

Published on: August 1, 2025

The Identification of Sea Lamprey Pheromones Using Bioassay-Guided Fractionation

The Identification of Sea Lamprey Pheromones Using Bioassay-Guided Fractionation

Published on: July 17, 2018

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Oct 7, 2025

Implantation of a New Micro Acoustic Tag in Juvenile Pacific Lamprey and American Eel

Implantation of a New Micro Acoustic Tag in Juvenile Pacific Lamprey and American Eel

Published on: March 16, 2019

The Floating Lab: Standard Operational Procedure for Collecting and Filtering Seawater Samples from Operating Ferries for Environmental DNA Analysis

The Floating Lab: Standard Operational Procedure for Collecting and Filtering Seawater Samples from Operating Ferries for Environmental DNA Analysis

Published on: August 1, 2025

The Identification of Sea Lamprey Pheromones Using Bioassay-Guided Fractionation

The Identification of Sea Lamprey Pheromones Using Bioassay-Guided Fractionation

Published on: July 17, 2018

Area of Science:

Ichthyology
Marine Biology
Ecology

Background:

European eel (Anguilla anguilla) populations face decline, necessitating understanding of their marine migration.
Marine migration routes, particularly in the North Sea, remain poorly understood despite significant European river systems discharging into it.
Previous tracking studies have not comprehensively mapped North Sea migration corridors for this species.

Purpose of the Study:

To create the most comprehensive map to date of European eel silver stage migration routes within the North Sea.
To document, for the first time, successful European eel migration through the English Channel.
To investigate variations in migration speeds and identify potential influencing factors.

Main Methods:

Reconstruction of migration tracks for 42 silver European eels tagged in Belgium and 12 tagged in Germany.
Utilizing advanced tracking technology to monitor eel movements across the North Sea.
Analysis of migration speeds and correlation with geographical routes.

Main Results:

Mapping of previously undocumented migration routes for European eels in the North Sea.
Confirmation of successful eel passage through the English Channel, indicating a viable southern migration route.
Identification of two distinct migration routes: one via the English Channel and another north of the British Isles, even from the same river catchment.
Observed a wide range of migration speeds (6.8–45.2 km day⁻¹), with faster transit through the English Channel.

Conclusions:

The North Sea serves as a critical migratory corridor for European eels, with at least two distinct exit routes identified.
The English Channel represents a significant and previously unconfirmed migratory pathway for European eels.
Migration speed appears to be influenced by geographical route and potentially by prevailing water currents, with the English Channel route being faster.