THE BLUEFIN COLLABORATIVE (TBC) WILL RAISE AND DISTRIBUTE FUNDING TOWARDS CRITICAL RESEARCH TO GAIN A HOLISTIC UNDERSTANDING OF ATLANTIC BLUEFIN TUNA MOVEMENTS, ABUNDANCE SPAWNING BEHAVIOR, AND GENERAL BIOLOGY USING REALITY-BASED AND ON-THE-WATER (OR IN-THE-AIR) SCIENCE. THE DATA GATHERED THROUGH THIS WORK EDUCATE, INFORM, AND IMPROVE THE CURRENT ASSESSMENT AND MANAGEMENT PROCESSES FOR THIS IMPORTANT SPECIES. TBC WILL BE A COLLABORATIVE EFFORT BETWEEN SCIENTISTS, FISHERMEN, PILOTS, AND OTHER EXPERTS FROM THE U.S, CANADA, AND ELSEWHERE. TBC WILL EMPLOY CURRENTLY AVAILABLE TOOLS - SUCH AS TAGGING - BUT ALSO STRIVE TO CREATE NEW ONES. TBC WILL ALSO WORK TO ENSURE THAT ANY IMPORTANT DATA THAT CURRENTLY EXISTS IS GIVEN THE LIGHT OF DAY. WHILE TBC'S ULTIMATE LONG-TERM GOAL IS TO PROVIDE FISHERIES MANAGERS WITH THE ABILITY TO DIRECTLY ASSESS BLUEFIN, THERE ARE MANY CRITICAL STEPS NEEDED TO GET THERE EACH OF WHICH ARE IMPORTANT.