Maritime animal mapping

Hydro International -

CSIRO scientists from Australia have learned animal trekking quirks by fitting them with electronic recording and transmitting devices, setting them free, and studying the information they retrieve.

King penguins in the Indian Ocean ride ocean currents to eddies rich with fish before making a bee-line back to their chicks. European eels navigate to ocean currents and make deep dives to dodge predators on their 5,000 kilometre migration from Ireland to Bermuda to breed.

More than 250 specialists in the use of telemetry devices (tags) to study animals meet in Hobart from 14-18 March at the Fourth International Science Symposium on Bio-logging (Bio-logging4).

This conference  has attracted delegates from more than twenty nations. Presenters will outline their findings on species ranging from albatrosses and vultures, to whales, seals, tunas, turtles, crabs and sharks.

Bio-logging refers to the use of electronic recording devices to record the distribution, behaviour and physiology of animals. It helps scientists understand how species and populations use and move through habitats, their resource needs and their capacity to adapt to a changing environment. This is essential to guiding the management of biodiversity and living resources.

Bio-logging refers to the use of electronic recording devices to record the distribution, behavior and physiology of animals.

Bio-logging tags differ according to the species and information required. They can be attached inside or outside animals and can record and transmit sound, light, temperature, water properties, speed, or even vision.

The information is relayed via satellite or retrieved direct from tags or recording stations and can help scientists understand how environmental conditions and climate affect animals, guide species conservation and create models for assessing animal populations, ecosystems, and approaches to management.

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