Quantifying the patterns and drivers of animal movement is critical to the effective conservation and management of species across all ecosystems. Despite their importance for global commercial and recreational fisheries, the movement patterns of marine soft sediment associated fishes are poorly understood. This study provides an important assessment of the characteristics of fine-scale movement patterns for a soft sediment fish species, the bluespotted flathead (Platycephalus caeruleopunctatus), and evaluates a suite of 8 environmental factors as potential drivers of these movements. Using a fine-scale acoustic positioning system, we tracked the movements of 46 bluespotted flathead over 472 days within the soft sediment marine habitat of Jervis Bay Marine Park. We found that tagged individuals exhibited directed movements within small areas, challenging the prevailing assumptions regarding the movement patterns of soft sediment fishes. The speed and space use associated with these movements were influenced by sea surface temperature, atmospheric pressure, wind speed, wind direction, time of day, and time of year. Fish length, rainfall, and wave height had no detectable influence on impact fish movements. We offer an important insight into directed movement in an understudied group of marine fishes. Our results highlight the need for further research into the combined effect of environmental and ecological drivers of movement in soft sediment habitats.
Traditional methods for determining birth timing and subsequent habitat information of ungulates can be costly, time-consuming, or can potentially negatively affect parturient females. Identifying ungulate birth sites and timing of births is possible using movement data from global positioning systems (GPS) collars. We investigated whether we could estimate parturition in Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis canadensis) using the analysis of parturition indicators (API) (i.e., velocity, turning angle, and seasonal range size) approach. These types of movement-based methods can be used to accurately detect parturition. We determined birthdates of young Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep through consistent, visual monitoring of collared females on Antelope Island, Utah, USA, from 2020 to 2022. We then used step length, velocity, turning angle, and seasonal range size collected from GPS collars to estimate 19 birthing events from 13 females for which we observed parturition within 72 h. Parturition of 13 female bighorn sheep was identified by a step length of < 95 m, a velocity of < 0.05 km/h, a turning angle of > 1.8 radians, and a seasonal range of < 8 ha. We then applied those metrics to verify 34 birthdates of all female bighorn sheep. Step length and the API method predicted a combined cumulation of 19
Understanding social contacts in livestock is essential for behavioural research, welfare assessment and modelling pathogen transmission. Proximity sensors based on received signal strength indicator (RSSI) offer a promising tool to quantify fine-scale social interactions in the context of precision livestock farming, but their performance depends strongly on environmental conditions and sensor configuration, requiring careful calibration and validation. In this study, we calibrated and validated commercially available RSSI-based proximity sensors under controlled indoor and outdoor conditions and through in vivo trials with sheep. Calibration experiments conducted across distances ranging from 0.5 to 5 m showed a predictable decrease in RSSI with increasing distance, modulated by environmental setting and sensor orientation, with both factors significantly influencing signal attenuation. Probability-based modelling demonstrated that RSSI reliably predicts biologically relevant proximity thresholds (≤ 0.5, 1.0 and 1.5 m), supporting the derivation of context-specific RSSI cut-offs rather than universal thresholds. The in vivo validation, combining proximity sensor data with image-based distance measurements matched to each individual RSSI detection event, demonstrated an overall classification accuracy of 82
Juvenile survival is a critical yet poorly resolved demographic parameter in long-lived seabirds. Juvenile spatial ecology may differ remarkedly from adults in dispersal extent, habitat use, and migratory routing, as fledglings must independently and rapidly acquire foraging and navigational competency to migrate vast distances. This demographic-specific knowledge gap limits evidence-based marine spatial planning for vulnerable seabird populations. Here, we provide new data on the movement patterns of fledgling Sable Shearwaters Ardenna carneipes from Lord Howe Island, Australia to evaluate spatial ecology. Sable Shearwaters were captured by hand from the colony surface immediately prior to fledgling. Solar-powered GPS loggers were attached to three central tail feathers in 2022 (n = 15) and 2024 (n = 15). All loggers were programmed to collect GPS locations (accuracy 5 m) at one-hour intervals. Juveniles departed Lord Howe Island rapidly, travelling on average 1000 (up to > 2,500) kilometres northward within the first two weeks post-fledgling and reaching the Solomon Sea by week 3, where they moved relatively short distances from east to west during the following weeks. Across years, juvenile Sable Shearwaters showed consistency in migrating northward within the first two weeks of their migration, highlighting the Solomon Sea as a previously unrecognised and potentially critical stopover site for this species. By identifying this important habitat, our results provide a clear spatial focus for future conservation planning and the development of targeted area-based management measures.
Fine-scale studies of juvenile shark ecology remain limited because existing tags are often too large or invasive to be deployed on sharks <2 m length. Consequently, high-resolution behavioral and physiological data from early life stages are scarce, despite their ecological relevance for understanding juvenile shark ecology and vulnerability–information needed to inform conservation status and management of shark populations. Here, we provide a proof-of-concept for a reproducible, minimally invasive fin-clamp attachment to address this knowledge gap. We assess tag stability, the quality of collected data, and the impact on post-tagging recovery and added hydrodynamic drag. We tested two iterations of fin-clamps (prototype and miniaturized) on eight juvenile smooth hammerhead sharks (0.97 to 1.45 m total length) using a tri-axial acceleration, depth, temperature, and video logger, achieving retention from 16 h to 19 days. The miniaturized fin-clamp (reduced size, weight, and improved release mechanism) enabled easier attachments in under 10 s and resulted in more consistent retention times with a more stable tag position. Corrected accelerometry-derived tailbeat frequency closely matched video-based estimates, validating the quality of acceleration data across both iterations. Asymptotic models of tailbeat dynamics indicated post-release recovery within 1.6–2.7 h. We applied the “jiggle method” to shark accelerometry data to estimate swimming speed, which was then used to parameterize computational fluid dynamics simulations. Results revealed a non-linear decrease in tag-induced penalties relative to shark size: high drag penalties for sharks ≤1 m total length but markedly lower drag penalties for individuals ≥1.2 m, providing empirical guidance on practical size thresholds for future tagging. The fin-clamp is a reproducible, minimally invasive system for high-resolution biologging of 1.2–2 m sharks, collecting unprecedented combined behavioral and video data for sharks of this life stage. By quantifying tag-induced hydrodynamic penalties and recovery periods, this study establishes empirical and ethical guidelines for its responsible application. The fin-clamp thus provides a tool to address current knowledge gaps constraining conservation and management of coastal shark populations, including identification of critical juvenile habitats, assessment of anthropogenic stressors, and characterization of movement patterns relevant to species recovery plans, with broader applicability to welfare-conscious biologging of other elasmobranch species.
Mitigation translocation is widely used at airfields to reduce wildlife-aircraft strike risk, yet few studies have evaluated its effectiveness for raptors, and none have been conducted in Alaska. We assessed post-release return rates for red-tailed hawks (Buteo jamaicensis; RTHA) and short-eared owls (Asio flammeus; SEOW) translocated from three airfields in Anchorage, Alaska, USA, from 2021 to 2025. We fitted satellite transmitters to 9 RTHAs and 33 SEOWs, enabling detailed monitoring (2 h intervals for RTHA and 2–24 h intervals for SEOW) and eliminating detection bias in assessing return behavior. We evaluated the influence of species, age class, and season of capture on return rates using chi-square tests of independence. We documented return of 4 adult RTHAs, all of which returned to their capture airfield within one week of release. No SEOWs (0 of 33) returned or were recaptured. Species was the only significant predictor of return status and return rates of RTHAs did not differ by sex, season of capture, or airfield. These results suggest that RTHAs in Alaska may exhibit movement or site-fidelity dynamics that differ from those reported in lower-latitude populations. In contrast, the absence of SEOW returns indicates that mitigation translocation may be a particularly effective non-lethal management tool for this declining and increasingly strike-prone species. Together, our findings provide the first empirical evaluation of raptor translocation outcomes in Alaska and offer guidance for wildlife–aircraft strike mitigation strategies in northern environments.
The projected growth in offshore wind installations in the northwest Atlantic Ocean is a major issue for conservation biologists interested in marine birds that breed in the region. Biologists often utilize foraging ranges of breeding individuals from their colony to estimate potential conflicts with offshore wind installations. Recent advances in GPS transmitter technology allow biologists to collect high resolution data for moderately-sized (< 200 g) marine birds throughout their breeding and post-breeding stages to quantify movement dynamics. We investigated whether tracking an abundant, generalist species, Common Tern (Sterna hirundo) would be representative of movements of a sympatric endangered specialist, Roseate Tern (Sterna dougalli). From June - September in 2024 and 2025, we used solar-powered GPS transmitters to track breeding and post-breeding movements of adult Common and Roseate Terns nesting on Great Gull Island, New York. We documented high similarity (40–70
Biologging studies of sharks have traditionally relied on animal capture and restraint to deploy fin-mounted satellite-linked transmitters, approaches that may induce stress, behavioral alterations, and post-release mortality. Here we evaluate a method for remotely deploying dorsal fin-mounted satellite transmitters on free-swimming sharks without capture and handling. This technique employed a modified Low Impact Minimally Percutaneous Electronic Transmitter (LIMPET) tagging system, originally developed for cetaceans, to deliver modified Smart Positioning and Temperature (SPOT) transmitting tags to the dorsal fins of free-swimming white sharks (Carcharodon carcharias). We detail the tagging system configuration, including transmitter modifications, deployment hardware, calibration procedures, and field protocols designed to maximize accuracy and attachment success. Field deployments on six sharks resulted in tag deployment with no observable behavioral signs of stress. Tag performance was influenced by placement location on the fin and dart penetration, with deployments near the dorsal fin apex and leading edge improving retention and transmission efficiency. We discuss the strengths and limitations of this approach, the types of species and study applications it’s best suited for and provide recommendations to improve transmitter design and deployment techniques for sharks. This method offers a less-invasive alternative to conventional fin-mounted shark tagging techniques requiring capture and applicable for shorter-term movement studies of large, surface-oriented species where capture and restraint are impractical or may compromise animal welfare or study objectives.
In hibernating mammals, the timing of den entry and exit reflects complex interactions among environment, physiology, and energetic constraints, with important fitness consequences. These timing shifts can alter individual energy balance and survival, potentially scaling up to influence population dynamics under climate change. Reliable estimates of denning timing are therefore important to accurately monitor animal behavior and support management decisions, yet current approaches often rely on GPS telemetry, which is limited by coarse sampling, detection issues, and an inability to distinguish true inactivity from presence at the den site. Here, we test a method using accelerometer-derived activity data to estimate denning phenology in a Scandinavian brown bear population. Our approach uses adaptive, individual-specific thresholds to account for variation in baseline activity, focusing on day-to-day changes to identify the start and end of inactivity periods as a proxy for denning. This provides a flexible, reproducible way to detect den entry and exit, overcoming limitations of fixed thresholds and small sample sizes. We compared activity-based estimates with GPS-derived den occupancy and examined variation in denning behavior across demographic groups. The method identified inactivity periods in 360 of 388 bear-winters, but failed to detect clear hibernation start and end dates in 28 cases (7
The English Channel stands out as one of the densest marine traffic areas in the world. Ships have become one of the main sources of anthropogenic noise in the ocean, impacting many marine species. Among these, harbour seals are particularly at risk due to their use of coastal habitats, with a high presence of marine traffic. The goal of this study was to assess potential behavioural responses of seals towards shipping noise. We used data from biologging tags (DTags) that record both noise and behavioural parameters. Vessel passes were identified using a high-level noise detector and classified as “vessel” by three evaluators. For each vessel pass, a 15 min window around the event was extracted, including a spectrogram, 3-axis accelerometer data, jerk (sharp acceleration) and swimming effort, depth, prey capture attempt positions, and a 2D movement track. Within the 15-min time window after, behavioural changes were classified into six categories by three evaluators. In this study, the category “Unknown” was excluded and the remaining categories were simplified into a binomial response variable (“change”; “no-change”). Overall, seals showed behavioural changes in 30
Marine animals inhabit a three-dimensional environment, which necessitates knowledge of both horizontal and vertical movements to understand the scope of their habitat use. Large-bodied hammerhead sharks (family Sphyrnidae) are known to undergo long distance horizontal movements while also making regular and repeated dives to considerable depths. However, vertical movements of smooth hammerheads (Sphyrna zygaena) are poorly understood compared to other sphyrnids, despite the importance of vertical habitat use in their ecology and potential exposure to anthropogenic threats. We used high-rate pop-up satellite archival tags (PSATs) to track vertical movements of juvenile smooth hammerheads (N = 5) in waters off Long Island, New York, USA, between July and September 2022–2024. Sharks were highly surface-oriented and had shallow depth distributions (< 10 m), with 45.5
The Reeves’ turtle (Mauremys reevesii), a globally endangered species listed on CITES Appendix Ⅲ, faces significant threats in South Korea, including habitat fragmentation and competition with invasive species. Effective conservation requires a deep understanding of its spatial ecology, particularly how it differs between distinct habitat types. We compared the spatial ecology of M. reevesii in lentic (reservoir) and lotic (river) ecosystems to elucidate how their spatial behavior and habitat use are shaped by these distinct environments. We used GPS telemetry to track 12 adult turtles (6 in a reservoir, 6 in rivers) in South Korea from April to November 2022. We analyzed differences in home range (Minimum Convex Polygon [MCP], Kernel Density Estimation [KDE 95
Animal-attached biologging tags (biologgers) have revolutionised the documentation of the movement and behaviour of large, mobile marine species, however, motion-sensitive sensors (e.g., accelerometers and magnetometers) ideally require rigid attachment and are often challenging to deploy without capture and restraint on species without smooth skin, where traditional suction cup attachments fail. This process can cause stress and injuries and may not be practically feasible or permissible for some large or threatened species. Although advances in deployment methods have facilitated rigid attachments on free-swimming pelagic sharks and whales, no study to-date has developed a rigid attachment approach to reliably collect motion-sensitive data from free-swimming pelagic rays without the need for capture and restraint. Here, we describe two methods of rigid tag attachment, a top jaw clamp and modified dorsal fin clamp, that were trialled on reef manta rays (Mobula alfredi) and detail the animal response and success rates of each method. The top jaw clamp attachment was deployed on five manta rays but had very short retention times (< 3 min) because of dislodgement by animals. Dorsal fin clamps were deployed on 31 reef manta rays and remained attached for up to 55.5 h, with 27 of 31 (87
Biotelemetry networks have transformed our capacity to study the movements and ecology of aquatic animals, yet their development has been geographically uneven over time. While North America and Australia (among others) already hosted mature, well-coordinated infrastructures in the early 2000s, Europe has long lacked a formal framework for collaboration. The European Tracking Network (ETN) emerged in 2017 as a grassroots response to this gap. Since then, ETN has grown tremendously and has become a sustainable network with a central data system and research infrastructure installed all across Europe, enabling collaborative research on a multitude of species and environments while maintaining a strong track record in capacity building. ETN operates through a decentralised model in which national and regional partners lead infrastructure deployment while contributing data to a shared data platform that adheres to FAIR principles and supports collaborative tools, interactive dashboards and a dedicated R-package. ETN has successfully enabled a growing body of transnational research on species movements, habitat connectivity and behavioural ecology, as well as meta-analyses that maximise data reuse and help reduce animal use. At the same time, ETN faces challenges common to large-scale telemetry initiatives, including the need for stable funding, potential equipment incompatibility, the risk of false-positive detections, a potential lack of community buy-in, and ongoing discussions around data ownership and proper attribution. By working proactively with the community and stakeholders, ETN could address most of these potential challenges through the development of open transmission protocols, by aligning data policies with community needs, and by enhancing stakeholder engagement. Looking ahead, ETN is positioning itself at the interface of digital twins, machine learning, multisensor integration and responsible stewardship. Together, these efforts are transforming ETN into a key component of a global aquatic animal observatory, supporting evidence-based management and conservation across European aquatic ecosystems and beyond.
Knowledge concerning diel and seasonal variation of body temperature and metabolic rates can provide useful information concerning the physiology, ecology, and behavior of animals and how they are adapted to living in cold conditions. Here, we investigated seasonal and diel variation in body temperature (Tb) and heart rate (HR) of Eurasian beavers (Castor fiber) in a region characterized by cold winters. Our aims were to better understand if (1) Tb and HR vary seasonally depending on climatic conditions, (2) if these measures can be used to estimate daily activity periods, and if Tb can be used to detect (3) the timing of parturition and (4) potential stress responses to GPS-tagging. We implanted body temperature- and heart rate loggers in 28 beavers in two study areas located in southeastern Norway, obtaining usable HR data for 5 individuals and Tb data for 10 individuals. We demonstrate that beavers have pronounced diel and seasonal patterns of Tb and HR, although seasonal changes in Tb were much less pronounced than compared to hibernators. Furthermore, HR data may be used to estimate activity budgets and Tb can potentially be used to identify parturition timing, tagging effects and potentially other stressors. These findings increase our understanding of the physiology and behavior of beavers, especially when inside the lodge and during winter, when behavioral or ecological studies are limited. Moreover, they provide novel data concerning the exact date of parturition, which will be useful for wildlife management.
High-resolution telemetry can reveal how elusive carnivores move and use space in fragmented, human-modified landscapes. The Sunda clouded leopard (Neofelis diardi), a forest-dependent felid endemic to Borneo and Sumatra, remains among the least-studied large tropical carnivores, with very limited individual-level movement data. We present the first high-resolution GPS telemetry dataset for the species, using 20-min GPS fixes from four collared adults, integrated with concurrent long-term camera-trap surveys to examine individual space use, movement, diel activity, and patterns of site sharing in a multiple-use landscape in Malaysian Borneo. Home-range estimates, based on three individuals monitored for 39–103 days and derived using multiple estimators, showed that two adult males occupied similar ( 41 km² each; 100
Understanding how biologging devices affect small vertebrates is crucial for balancing research needs with animal welfare, particularly in conservation-sensitive taxa such as amphibians. Despite their ecological importance and global declines, amphibians remain largely excluded from biologging studies, limiting the data available for effective management. Here, we experimentally evaluated the behavioural and spatial effects of externally attached tracking devices in three anuran species (Bombina variegata, Bufotes viridis, and Bufo bufo), under both aquatic and terrestrial conditions. Individuals were monitored with and without devices across multiple days to test for short-term impacts on behaviour and potential habituation. We analysed movement metrics using heatmaps, PCA, and mixed models, while locomotor behaviours were classified from tri-axial accelerometer data using both unsupervised (K-means) and supervised (Random Forest) approaches. Across species, device presence produced limited and largely idiosyncratic behavioural changes, with responses varying primarily among individuals. We did not detect systematic alterations in locomotor performance or space use attributable to device attachment. Random Forest classification achieved > 96
Predation by Striped Bass (Morone saxatilis) in Clifton Court Forebay, a water regulating reservoir in California’s Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta, is considered a major contributor to losses of juvenile salmonids. Understanding how individual Striped Bass use the forebay and surrounding channels is important for designing more effective predator management actions aimed at reducing loss. Consistent with recent fish behavior literature, this study used acoustic telemetry and clustering analysis to determine whether Striped Bass exhibit discrete movement behavior classes that differ in residency, habitat use, detectability, and movement activity. We then tested whether the occurrence of these classes varies with season, hydrologic conditions, fish age, and radial gate operations. Acoustic detections from 543 tagged Striped Bass were summarized into 10,608 month long behavior states across six years. Five behavioral classes were identified: Inside Residents–Undetected (assumed persistent forebay residency with few detections), Inside Sedentary (high detection within the forebay at a limited number of receivers), Inside Roamers (primarily forebay-associated with active internal movement), Commuters (high movement and frequent use of both forebay and outside habitats), and Outside Residents–Undetected (persistent outside residency with few detections). Behavioral class composition differed significantly by month, water year type, age class, radial gate openness, and a relative salmonid catch index. Movements were concentrated from February through May, with additional peaks in late summer and fall. The identified classes represent distinct combinations of space use and activity that determine when fish are present in the forebay, how often they cross key control points, and how observable they are to fixed receiver arrays. These differences are directly relevant to predator management because capture probability and exposure to capture gears may vary among behavioral classes. Telemetry-derived behavior classification provides a practical basis for targeting predator removal timing and locations, potentially improving the efficiency of actions intended to reduce predation pressure on native fishes in the Delta.
The study of animal movement is vital to our understanding of spatio-temporal implications for species behavior, ecology, and conservation. Determining the drivers of movement gives insights into, for instance, species interactions in the ecosystem. The species Canis lupus includes subspecies of the gray wolf (Canis lupus spp.), as well as the dingo (Canis lupus dingo), and the domestic dog (Canis lupus familiaris), thus providing an opportunity to identify differences in movement patterns along a wild-domestic animal gradient. Here, we assessed how these canid subspecies move in response to intrinsic and extrinsic variables through a systematic literature search of articles and data analyses related to the movement patterns of wolves, dingoes, and free-ranging dogs. We found 145 published studies worldwide. Wolves and dingoes traveled at least seven times the daily distance of a dog. Home ranges were largest for wolves, followed by dingoes and finally dogs. Regarding activity patterns, wolves showed a higher probability of cathemeral activity than dogs. Based on our statistical analysis, age influenced movement patterns in wolves, with subadults traveling further than adults, whereas sex was associated with home range in dogs and dingoes, with females exhibiting larger core or extended areas than males. The effects of extrinsic variables, including temporal, landscape, and anthropogenic factors, varied across the three subspecies. We highlight the need for a wider use of standardized metrics and information report to enable global comparisons, and the consideration of intrinsic and extrinsic variables as drivers of canid movement patterns. The information presented is a first step to improve our knowledge of these patterns and our understanding of the ecological and evolutionary aspects of this group. The information gathered may also provide clues for the mitigation of human-canids conflicts.
Abstract Background Relative to extensive research on soaring raptors, the propensity for overwater movement of owls is poorly known. To provide insights into the migratory routes of an owl species, Northern Boobooks Ninox japonica , breeding in East Asia, we attached GPS loggers to male Northern Boobooks in the Tohoku region of Japan. Results A GPS logger successfully recorded the full annual cycle of one male, showing an example of a clockwise loop migration between Japan and Southeast Asia. The migration route via Luzon, Philippines, was consistent with previous band-recovery data. In both autumn and spring, the tracked owl undertook ocean crossings exceeding 1400 km. In wintering ground, the owl used a four-year-old secondary forest surrounded by oil palm plantations in Kalimantan, Indonesia. Conclusions This tracking record provides the first detailed description of the migration route of owls along the East Asian flyway and an initial insight into the migration and wintering ecology of the Northern Boobook. Our GPS tracking data, while not a statistically sufficient sample size, suggest that this species performs long-distance overwater migration.
