Land-locked Atlantic salmon use GPS-like magnetic field to navigate – and may not lose that ability

A new study shows that Atlantic salmon use the Earth’s magnetic field as a navigational tool – much like their cousins, Pacific salmon – and don’t lose that ability through several generations of fish even after they have been transplanted into a land-locked lake.

The findings suggest that Atlantic salmon, which are widely used in aquaculture, may have greater potential to navigate and thus invade novel habitats if they escape their pens, researchers say.

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