Aquatic animal telemetry: A panoramic window into the underwater world

• Published in: Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science) Vol. 348; no. 6240; p. 1221
• Main Authors: Hussey, Nigel E., Kessel, Steven T., Aarestrup, Kim, Cooke, Steven J., Cowley, Paul D., Fisk, Aaron T., Harcourt, Robert G., Holland, Kim N., Iverson, Sara J., Kocik, John F., Flemming, Joanna E. Mills, Whoriskey, Fred G.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington American Association for the Advancement of Science 12.06.2015; The American Association for the Advancement of Science
• Subjects: Animal behavior; Animals; Aquatic animals; Aquatic ecosystems; Aquatic environment; Aquatic organisms; Aquatic reptiles; Biotelemetry; Data collection; Data retrieval; Ecology; Ecosystem services; Ecosystems; Environment; Environmental changes; Estuarine ecosystems; Infrastructure; Marine ecosystems; Marine systems; Ocean basins; Opacity; Physiology; Predator-prey interactions; REVIEW SUMMARY; Samplers; Satellites; Sensors; Shellfish; Social behavior; Technological Advancement; Telemetry; Tracking equipment; Tropical environments
• ISSN: 0036-8075; 1095-9203
• DOI: 10.1126/science.1255642

Researchers have long attempted to follow animals as they move through their environment. Until relatively recently, however, such efforts were limited to short distances and times in species large enough to carry large batteries and transmitters. New technologies have opened up new frontiers in animal tracking remote data collection. Hussey et al. review the unique directions such efforts have taken for marine systems, while Kays et al. review recent advances for terrestrial species. We have entered a new era of animal ecology, where animals act as both subjects and samplers of their environments. Science , this issue 10.1126/science.1255642 , 10.1126/science.aaa2478 The distribution and interactions of aquatic organisms across space and time structure our marine, freshwater, and estuarine ecosystems. Over the past decade, technological advances in telemetry have transformed our ability to observe aquatic animal behavior and movement. These advances are now providing unprecedented ecological insights by connecting animal movements with measures of their physiology and environment. These developments are revolutionizing the scope and scale of questions that can be asked about the causes and consequences of movement and are redefining how we view and manage individuals, populations, and entire ecosystems. The next advance in aquatic telemetry will be the development of a global collaborative effort to facilitate infrastructure and data sharing and management over scales not previously possible.