Wildlife tracking technologies have already massively advanced our understanding of the natural world, from uncovering previously mysterious migration patterns and key movement corridors to demonstrating the impacts of anthropogenic pressures and climate change. Recent advances in the development of technologies for collecting and transmitting biologging data have unlocked the potential for fine-scale data collection at a near-global scale, which when integrated with remotely sensed environmental data offers an unprecedented biological lens into ecosystem health and environmental change (Jetz et al. 2022).
New technologies on the horizon include small satellites like CubeSats, which are being investigated by NASA, the ICARUS Initiative's satellite system, and a variety of other ventures aiming to improve the coverage, accuracy, and capacity of wildlife tracking data collection. Combined with the increased availability of high-resolution environmental data and analytical developments in movement modeling, these advancements are empowering movement ecologists to ask previously unanswerable or unimaginable questions. It’s clear that this discipline sits at the precipice of major breakthroughs that could revolutionize our understanding of animal movement and the natural world.
Software Developer (movebank.org, firetail.de)
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A Wildlife Biologist interested in Environment Assessment and Restoration, In-situ and Ex-situ strategies, Technologies used in Conservation and Illegal Wildlife Trade.
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- @lhughey
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Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute
I am an ecologist and program manager with experience leading collaborative research projects in international settings. I specialize in the application of animal tracking data to conserve migratory species on a changing planet.
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- @otgonbayartm
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Thanks to WILDLABS. This community is what exactly matches to my interest in Nature Conservation as IT professional.
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- @Shakirah
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Passionate lover of nature, Birdwatcher, Biotechnologist, Genomics
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- @mbkowalski11
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University of California Santa Cruz
PhD Student (UCSC, Wilmers Lab) interested in large carnivores, behavioral ecology, human-wildlife coexistence, and biologging
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Arm
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- @IvanIoSA
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CTO of IoSA, the Internet of Small Animals. Creator of ProxLogs
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- @Robincrocs
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Wildlife biologist, works with Caimans and Crocodiles
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- @kadambarid
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Dr. Kadambari Devarajan is an engineer-turned-ecologist working on biodiversity monitoring. (Website - http://kadambarid.in/)
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Early career, assistance in biologging projects with owls and eagles
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June 2024
event
Developing small (>2g) low power proximity loggers
18 August 2017 11:57am
Update on camera trap tests with real animal targets
17 August 2017 1:24pm
Funding Opportunity: Leverage space technology for wildlife protection
6 July 2017 12:57pm
PIT tag suppliers in the UK
22 February 2017 1:19pm
29 March 2017 1:44pm
Hi Ollie,
Thank you for the update! This will be of use to other community members!
-John
5 May 2017 5:24pm
Not been on Wildlabs for a long time but I recommend Eccel Technology in Leicester and even build them into bird rings. We have been using theirs.
RSPB have built a data logger around the Arduino and plan to put the design and code on Wildlabs sometime later in the year. There are many commercially available and cheap means of solely reading PIT or as they also known RFID tags.
Thanks
Nigel
GPS wildlife tracking on the cheap
8 December 2016 2:54am
12 April 2017 3:00pm
Hi Colin,
In short yes, they make a GSM device. The issue would be weight. What is the weight limit/minimum recording time? Best off firing further questions at Blake Allan, he knows a lot more than me! [email protected]
All the best,
Euan
12 April 2017 3:17pm
Alasdair,
I'm in Australia. The network provider with the widest coverage is Telstra.
Colin
12 April 2017 3:32pm
Euan,
Thanks for the feedback and I'll be in touch with Blake sometime soon. I'm investigating options for tracking falcons and phascogales.
Colin
6th International Bio-Logging Science Symposium
11 April 2017 1:06pm
From the Field: Dr Raman Sukumar and Technology Developments Needed to Conserve Elephants
5 April 2017 12:00am
From the Field: Paul Millhouser and tracking migrating kestrels with low cost, light based geolocators
29 March 2017 12:00am
#Tech4Wildlife Photo Challenge: Our favourites from 2016
1 March 2017 12:00am
Can acoustic tags be tracked by poachers
2 February 2017 11:08am
2 February 2017 12:38pm
Hi Matt,
This is a very broad question. Short answer, probably not. Narrowing down your problem would help community members get better context. What's the species you're working with? In which country/region is this occuring? How many of the fish are there? What are the current technologies being used to catch the fish by the poachers?
2 February 2017 1:38pm
Hi,
I would be looking at tagging a select number sturgeon fish in Georgia (Eurasia). Currently estimates have their popultion at around 10,000 and I am thinking of tagging around 30 individuals. Currently poachers use non-discriminate methods such as electro-fishing to capture them so I am right in thinking the acoustic tags should be ok?
Thank you for all your help,
Matt
GPS and VHF (RF) tracking technologies, a comparison and other resources
14 January 2017 7:20am
Pangolin Tagging Challenges
13 January 2017 4:02pm
13 January 2017 4:05pm
Hi!
Information I'm looking for also includes needed cost, design specifications, concerns with designs in use now, pictures of transmitters attached to pangolins, or anything similar.
Sincerely,
Priya
Conservation Leadership Programme 2017 Award
21 November 2016 12:00am
Open Tag IMU data analysis
2 November 2016 9:06pm
15 November 2016 11:13am
Hi Michael
I made some progress on a Java library and little GUI but I did not finish it. Although I managed the boring stuff, unpacking the DSG files and put some nifty magnetic calbration stuff in.
This is NOT a finished or functional product but it is open source, so if anyone wanted to finish it off, I'd be more than happy. I intend to do it eventually but at the back of the list opf things to do.
The application main class is here: It's integrated into a larger application but can be used as a standalone app. Good luck to anyone who wants to take it on- make sure any further work stays accessible and open please.
Cheers
Jamie
Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act grants via USFWS
8 November 2016 12:00am
Small GSM GPS tracking tags - recommendations needed!
7 October 2016 10:38am
28 October 2016 4:46pm
Hi,
I have been involved in a variety of tracking projects over the last few years for the BTO, including the use of GPS-GSM tags we have been developing with university partners.
Firstly, I'd suggest that your colleague contact me or reply on this thread with a little more information, i.e. how small is small? Is there a known weight limit needed? Current of the shelf type tags designed for bird tracking will generally be 20g and higher but are unlikely to be suitable as they come as they usually are solar recharged.
However, it would be very possible to assemble some lighter prototypes (i.e. we are currently working on a c.10g GSM tag) specifically for this application after a bit of consultation of requirements (which may influence housing, dimensions, battery size etc.).
These would need to be tested in conditions simulating their intended use as a very small tag may simply not have enough power to obtain fixes with lots of interference and last long as long as required. There is always a trade off with weight and performance.
Another key thing to consider would be the location these will be deployed and the likely GSM network coverage. Although tags would be able to log data and store it until it does come into coverage.
There are several manufacturers I know of who would likely be able to develop something for this project and it may just depend on exactly what is required and when as to who is in the best place to delivery some tags.
I look forward to hearing back,
Gary Clewley
Research Ecologist, BTO
31 October 2016 9:56pm
Hi there
Check out Microwave Telemetry at http://www.microwavetelemetry.com/bird/GSMspecifications.cfm
Sirtrack may also be worth checking out (though I'm not sure what GSM trackers they have). http://www.sirtrack.co.nz/
Good luck and let us know how you go. We're always looking for lightweight, long-lasting (solar or movement-powered) GPS trackers... or even trackers using IoT and sensor networks...
cheers
Alan
Integrating wildlife tracking with other technologies
7 January 2016 12:21pm
27 June 2016 3:44pm
Hi Paul,
Interesting question. Are you interested in hearing about case studies that are investigating these sensor integrations? If so, I'm happy to share a number of examples I know of.
This article in the WILDLABS.NET resources area might have a few additions for the list. It profiles a lot of different examples of conservation tech (and includes links and videos), so it's worth checking out.
A new addition to the list I've spotted is a magnetometer - part of a slew of sensors UC Santa Cruz has added to a SMART collar they've developed for Pumas. From the aforementioned article:
UC Santa Cruz: SMART Collar
Scientists at UC Santa Cruz have developed a Species Movement, Acceleration and Radio Tracking (SMART) Collar to study puma movements and caloric needs, similar to a Fitbit. The collars include a GPS unit, accelerometers, and a magnetometer to provide detailed data on where an animal is and what it is doing.
After callibrating the collars with captive pumas, the team were able to were able to continuously monitor the movements of mountain lions in the wild and determine how much energy the big cats use to stalk, pounce, and overpower their prey. These findings help explain why most cats use a 'stalk and pounce' hunting strategy.
The researchers were able to quantify, for example, the high energetic costs of traveling over rugged terrain compared to the low cost of "cryptic" hunting behaviors such as sit-and-wait or stalk-and-ambush movements. During the actual pounce and kill, the cats invest a lot of energy in a short time to overpower their prey. Data from the collars showed that mountain lions adjust the amount of energy they put into the initial pounce to account for the size of their prey.
The team now wants to look at mountain lion energetics in a range of different habitat types. In particular, they are interested in how human land use and habitat fragmentation may be influencing the energetic demands on mountain lions in the wild. They also have projects using the new collar technology to study other large carnivores, including wolves, polar bears, and Weddell seals.
For more information, visit the Santa Cruz Puma Project website.
Let me know if you're interested in a list of case studies for the environmental conditions you've already identified and I'll share my secret stash :)
Steph
27 June 2016 3:59pm
Hi Paul,
I just remembered another one for the list. @BethClark is taking some really cool environmental readings for seabirds - Gannets - basically to build a picture of their lives in 3D. She talks about it on her blog here.
A few excerpts:
Electronic devices are attached onto the birds to record their behaviour: GPS, altimeters, accelerometers and dive recorders. The key will be to use multiple loggers on the same bird to record their flights in great detail. The GPS tracking project has been going on Grassholm for a few years now and we are building up a good picture of where they tend to forage.
The altimeters show the height above the sea, which gives us 3D tracks of the birds’ movements – very cool! The higher you are, the further you can see, but the more difficult it is to pick up scents from the sea. We will find out if these 3D help us pick out foraging behaviour and see how they actually find fish (and fishing boats) in a huge and seemingly featureless ocean.
Dive recorders show the timing and depth of the famous torpedo plunge dives, which will let us know when the birds have successfully found a fishing ground.
The accelerometers measure acceleration in 3 directions, showing even a single wing flap. This will help us to measure how much effort the bird are putting in when they travel and forage, which is very important for trying to figure out how they decide where to go. We will also be able to identify other behaviours, such as telling apart high-speed plunge diving from a slower dive made from the surface.
I think altimeters and dive recorders might be new ones for your list. Beth's here on WILDLABS.NET (and has promised a nice case study for our Resources area), so I think she'd be delighted to answer any questions you might have.
Cheers,
Steph
16 August 2016 10:37am
Hello again!
An interesting paper exploring the new technologies being used to study cetaceans has a section devoted to what they term high-resolution multisensor tags (page 4).
As with @BethClark 's work above, the questions that arise when studying marine mammals bring another dimension into what information we might require sensors to collect. For example:
Among cetaceans, there are two suborders: Odontocetes (toothed-whales) and Mysticetes (baleen whales). In general, toothed whales and dolphins use high-frequency acoustics for interanimal communication and feeding. In the marine environment, where sight is limited, sound propagates extremely well and all marine mammals communicate primarily through acoustic cues. Similar to bats, toothed whales and dolphins feed via high-frequency sound production known as echolocation, where acoustic signals reflect off of targets and the returning echoes can be translated into information on the environment or potential prey. For many years, independent passive acoustic recorders have been used to study the vocalizations of marine mammals. However, the incorporation of acoustic recorders (hydrophones) into animal-borne tags has only occurred in the past 20 years (Fletcher, Le Boeuf, Costa, Tyack, & Blackwell, 1996). The information that is recorded on the sensors in these tags (e.g. acoustic, movement) can be used to determine the frequency and acoustic structure of vocal behaviours that occur concomitant with motor behaviour, for example, echolocation signals during feeding events (Madsen, De Soto, Arranz, & Johnson, 2013) or contact calling while diving ( Jensen, Marrero Perez, Johnson, Aguilar Soto, & Madsen, 2011). Echolocation ‘clicks’ and ‘buzzes’ have been used from animal-borne tags to study the foraging behaviour of a wide range of odontocetes, from the small harbour porpoise, Phocoena phocoena, to the largest, the sperm whale (Fais et al., 2015; Wisniewska et al., 2015). This information has provided critical data on the feeding depths, frequency, timing and prey types targeted by different species and the behaviours associated with foraging (Johnson, de Soto & Madsen, 2009). These insights into feeding behaviour have recently been used to help determine foraging performance and foraging ecology (Watwood, Miller, Johnson, Madsen, & Tyack, 2006), as well as the energetic consequences of disturbing this behaviour (Miller et al., 2009). These new data products are ripe for linking to conservation efforts such as the individual and population consequences of human activities disrupting these behaviours (e.g. the use of naval sonar and seismic surveys). We explore below the tools produced, as well as new ones in development, to forge these links.
You have already identified sound in your original list, but I think the use of hydrophones with tags is an interesting addition - an example that didn't immediately spring to mind (at least for me), when I thought about the list.
Cheers,
Steph
In Press: Nowacek, D. P., et al., Studying cetacean behaviour: new technological approaches and conservation applications, Animal Behaviour (2016), http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.anbehav.2016.07.019
Perspectives from the World Ranger Congress
10 August 2016 12:00am
How can technology help us monitor those small cold-blooded critters that live in caves?
25 July 2016 12:00am
Wildlife Tracking Equipment Grants from Holohil Transmitters
20 July 2016 12:00am
Performance of GPS-collars in wildlife research: what does the evidence show?
22 February 2016 12:56pm
26 February 2016 2:12pm
Fantastic, thanks Maarten! I've shared your response with Abby, so hopefully you'll have some info coming your way very soon.
1 July 2016 4:28pm
Hi Maarten,
I'm curious to hear how the survey went and at what stage you're at. Do have any preliminary results to share yet? Anything expected/unexpected come out of the surveys, or big questions that our community could mull over?
Steph
2 July 2016 3:27pm
Hi Steph,
the survey is closed now, and I'm in the process of screening data. I hope to start with the analysis soon.
So unfortunately, nothing new or exciting yet...
Maarten
Tiger, Tiger, Being Tracked - Science Talk with Ullas Karanth
27 June 2016 3:09pm
Wildlife Crime Tech Challenge Accelerator Bootcamp
24 June 2016 12:00am
How the ‘animal internet’ sheds light on the secrets of migration
22 June 2016 12:21pm
How Open Source Technologies Could Dramatically Reduce the Cost of Tagging Green Sea Turtles
27 May 2016 12:00am
Snake telemetry?
18 May 2016 6:52pm
Polar Bear Satellite Telemetry Innovation Workshop - Redesigning Satellite Telemetry Devices for Polar Bears and Beyond
18 May 2016 1:23am
18 May 2016 4:18pm
I tweeted about it!
Text Messages from Teenage Gannets
25 April 2016 12:00am
Request for GPS based animal movement data
11 March 2016 8:26am
13 April 2016 4:27pm
Gautam,
You can join ebird.org and make a request to download their data that contains GPS data for birds.
Jason
13 April 2016 4:50pm
There's also movebank, which is a repository fo wildlife tracking information.
Disruptive Technology: Embracing the Transformative Impacts of Software on Society
10 March 2016 12:00am
29 March 2017 11:02am
Hi Kai - I asked for a UK supplier, but thanks.
Hi everyone -
I had a recommendation for http://www.wyremicrodesign.co.uk/. Apparently used successfully for a couple of projects, and designed/built some bespoke readers. The owner can be contacted on [email protected].
I went with Francis Scientific Instruments in the end, as they've been reliable and helpful on past projects. You can contact Mike (Francis) on [email protected].
Cheers, Ollie