A case for restoring unity between biotelemetry and bio-logging to enhance animal tracking research
Steven J. Cooke,
Robert J. Lennox,
Jacob W. Brownscombe,
Sara J. Iverson,
Frederick G. Whoriskey,
Joshua J. Millspaugh,
Nigel E. Hussey,
Glenn T. Crossin,
Brendan J. Godley,
Robert Harcourt
Affiliations
Steven J. Cooke
Fish Ecology and Conservation Physiology Laboratory, Department of Biology, Carleton University, 1125 Colonel By Drive, Ottawa, ON, K1S 5B6, Canada
Robert J. Lennox
Fish Ecology and Conservation Physiology Laboratory, Department of Biology, Carleton University, 1125 Colonel By Drive, Ottawa, ON, K1S 5B6, Canada NORCE Norwegian Research Centre, Laboratory for Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, Bergen, Norway
Jacob W. Brownscombe
Great Lakes Laboratory for Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Burlington, ON L7S 1A1, Canada
W.A. Franke College of Forestry and Conservation, Wildlife Biology Program, University of Montana, Missoula, MT 59812, USA
Nigel E. Hussey
Integrative Biology, University of Windsor, 401 Sunset Avenue, Windsor, ON N9B 3P4, Canada
Glenn T. Crossin
Department of Biology, Dalhousie University, 1355 Oxford St, Halifax, NS B3H 4J1, Canada
Brendan J. Godley
Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, Cornwall TR10 9FE, UK Environment and Sustainability Institute, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, Cornwall TR10 9FE, UK
Robert Harcourt
Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, North Ryde, 2109 NSW, Australia
Monitoring animals with electronic tags is an increasingly important tool for fundamental and applied ecological research. Based on the size of the system under study, the ability to recapture the animal, and research medium (e.g., aerial, freshwater, saltwater, terrestrial), tags selected may either log data in memory (bio-logging), transmit it to a receiver or satellite (biotelemetry), or have a hybrid design. Over time, we perceive that user groups are diverging based on increasing use of technology specific terms, favouring either bio-logging or biotelemetry. It is crucial to ensure that a divide does not become entrenched in the community because it will likely hinder efforts to advance field and analytical methods and reduce accessibility of animal tracking with electronic tags to early-career and new researchers. We discuss the context for this emerging problem and the evidence that this is manifesting within the scientific community. Finally, we suggest how the animal tracking community may work to address this issue to maximize the benefits of information transfer and integration between users of the two technologies.
