| 1. |
- Abecasis, David, et al.
(author)
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A review of acoustic telemetry in Europe and the need for a regional aquatic telemetry network
- 2018
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In: Animal Biotelemetry. - : Springer. - 2050-3385. ; 6
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background: Globally, there are a large and growing number of researchers using biotelemetry as a tool to studyaquatic animals. In Europe, this community lacks a formal network structure. The aim of this study is to review the useof acoustic telemetry in Europe and document the contribution of cross-boundary studies and inter-research groupcollaborations. Based on this, we explore the potential benefits and challenges of a network approach to identifyfuture priorities and best practices for aquatic biotelemetry research in Europe.Results: Over the past decade, there was an approximately sevenfold increase in the number of acoustic telemetrystudies published on marine and diadromous species in Europe compared to a sixfold increase globally. Over 90%of these studies were conducted on fishes and undertaken in coastal areas, estuaries, or rivers. 75% of these studieswere conducted by researchers based in one of five nations (Norway, UK, France, Portugal, and Spain) and, eventhough 34% were based on collaborations between scientists from several countries, there was only one study withan acoustic receiver array that extended beyond the borders of a single country. In recent years, acoustic telemetryin European waters has evolved from studying behavioural aspects of animals (82.2%), into more holistic approachesaddressing management-related issues (10%), tagging methods and effects (5%), and technology and data analysisdevelopment (2.8%).Conclusions: Despite the increasing number of publications and species tracked, there is a prominent lack ofplanned and structured acoustic telemetry collaborations in Europe. A formal pan-European network structure wouldpromote the development of (1) a research platform that could benefit the acoustic telemetry community throughcapacity building, (2) a centralized database, and (3) key deployment sites and studies on priority species requiringresearch in Europe. A network may increase efficiency, expand the scope of research that can be undertaken, promoteEuropean science integration, enhance the opportunities and success of acquiring research funding and, ultimately,foster regional and transatlantic collaborations. It may also help address research priorities such as the large-scalesocietal challenges arising from climate change impacts and assist the EU’s Marine Strategy Framework Directive viaidentification of good environmental status of endangered or commercially important species.
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| 2. |
- Arnemo, Jon
(author)
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Development and utilization of implantable cardiac monitors in free-ranging American black and Eurasian brown bears: System evolution and lessons learned
- 2018
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In: Animal Biotelemetry. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2050-3385. ; 6
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Biologgers can be used to monitor both human and animal physiology and behaviors, activity patterns, and/or environmental stressors. Monitoring of heart rates and rhythms, respiratory patterns, and activity in free-ranging bears can provide unique insights into physiological mechanisms. Such research can also influence the conservation of wildlife, the management of human-wildlife conflicts, and potentially human medicine. Here we describe our experiences with the development and utilization of three generations of implantable biologgers in American black and Eurasian brown bears (Ursus americanus and Ursus arctos arctos). These devices have enabled novel investigations into the underlying mechanisms for winter survival, including the discovery of an extreme respiratory sinus arrhythmias that acts to conserve energy while providing adequate circulation to maintain alertness (i.e., "fight or flight" behaviors). Extreme variations in heart rate have also been documented, including a 33.8s asystole and a 261beats/min sinus tachycardia in black bears and a 39.4s asystole and a 240beats/min sinus tachycardia in brown bears. Long-term data recording has also identified annual trends in heart rates and activity in both species. Combining physiological data with concurrent GPS collar locations provided insights into the impacts of human and environmental stressors (hunting, predation by other bears, road crossings, drones), which would not have been apparent through spatial data analysis alone. More recently, short-range wireless telemetry has allowed for real-time streaming of data via telemetry stations placed in remote den locations. Future iterations include transponders for biomonitoring and as an early warning system to aid in the prevention of poaching in free-ranging animals. In this review, we discuss the primary experimental capabilities of the current and next-generation systems. We highlight device evolution in terms of new physiological measurements (e.g., temperature, activity, impedance, posture), increased data storage capacity, improved wireless capabilities, and miniaturization to reduce the invasiveness of implantation procedures. These biologgers are now being applied to other species, and the possibilities seem limitless as technologies continue to advance.
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| 3. |
- Arnemo, Jon
(author)
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Vaginal temperature and collar activity variations in relation to fecal progestagens of captive moose
- 2023
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In: Animal Biotelemetry. - 2050-3385. ; 11
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background Timing of reproductive events can be crucial for a species' population growth and stability. Accurate detection of reproductive phenology presents a challenge to scientists studying wild species, including moose (Alces alces). Currently, there are several established methods for monitoring reproductive activity and events in domestic ruminants, including the use of biologging devices. The main objective of this study was to determine whether female moose display a distinct thermal and activity pattern associated with luteal activity during the estrous cycle, which could be used to determine the onset of their breeding season. We deployed biologging devices and collected fecal samples from 12 captive female moose on the Kenai Peninsula, Alaska, USA to explore variation in vaginal temperature and collar activity and the relationship between these variables and fecal progestagen concentrations. Fecal samples were collected from mid-August to mid-October and analyzed using radioimmunoassay to determine the concentration of fecal progestagens to classify luteal activity.Results Captive female moose displayed an identifiable thermal pattern during the onset of luteal activity from mid-September to mid-October, associated with the initial estrous cycle of their breeding season. In contrast, we did not observe a distinct pattern in activity during this period. Recurring patterns in both vaginal temperature and activity were identified between mid-October and mid-November, however, which were likely associated with subsequent estrous cycles but not included in our fecal sampling period.Conclusions This study supports that female moose display an identifiable pattern in vaginal temperature which is associated with luteal activity of the initial estrous cycle of the breeding season. An identifiable pattern was observed for both vaginal temperature and activity registrations at the presumed timing of subsequent estrous cycle of the breeding season.
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| 4. |
- Dettki, Holger
(author)
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A plea for standards in reporting data collected by animal‑borne electronic devices
- 2016
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In: Animal Biotelemetry. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2050-3385. ; 4
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- In recent years, there has been significant investment in collaborative e-infrastructures to support biotelemetry research. Whilst these e-infrastructures are rapidly growing in size and sophistication, the current lack of standards for reporting and documenting the data collected by animal-borne telemetry devices is hampering their effectiveness. Here, we demonstrate why the current lack of standards is severely complicating the process for those developing and maintaining biotelemetry-related e-infrastructures, and provide suggestions as to how the current issue may be resolved. We hope this article will stimulate discussion across the community and facilitate the first steps towards the creation and adoption of industry standards for data collected by animal-borne telemetry devices.
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| 5. |
- Gräns, Albin
(author)
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Heart rate and swimming activity as indicators of post-surgical recovery time of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar)
- 2021
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In: Animal Biotelemetry. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2050-3385. ; 9
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- BackgroundFish telemetry using electronic transmitter or data storage tags has become a common method for studying free-swimming fish both in the wild and in aquaculture. However, fish used in telemetry studies must be handled, anaesthetised and often subjected to surgical procedures to be equipped with tags, processes that will shift the fish from their normal physiological and behavioural states. In many projects, information is needed on when the fish has recovered after handling and tagging so that only the data recorded after the fish has fully recovered are used in analyses. We aimed to establish recovery times of adult Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) after an intraperitoneal tagging procedure featuring handling, anaesthesia and surgery.ResultsBased on ECG and accelerometer data collected with telemetry from nine individual Atlantic salmon during the first period after tagging, we found that heart rate was initially elevated in all fish and that it took an average of approximate to 4 days and a maximum of 6 days for heart rate to return to an assumed baseline level. One activity tag showed no consistent decline in activity, and two others did not show strong evidence of complete recovery by the end of the experiment: baseline levels of the remaining tags were on average reached after approximate to 3.3 days.ConclusionOur findings showed that the Atlantic salmon used in this study required an average of approximate to 4 days, with a maximum interval of 6 days, of recovery after tagging before tag data could be considered valid. Moreover, the differences between recovery times for heart rate and activity imply that recovery time recommendations should be developed based on a combination of indicators and not just on e.g. behavioural observations.
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| 6. |
- Hellström, Gustav
(author)
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The effect of externally attached archival data loggers on the short-term dispersal behaviour and migration speed of European eel (Anguilla anguilla L.)
- 2022
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In: Animal Biotelemetry. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2050-3385. ; 10
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background Externally attached archival data logging tags are increasingly used to unravel migration routes of fish species at sea. Due to the relatively large size of the tags, their application on seaward migrating anguillid eels often forms a challenge in terms of feasibility and impact on the eel's swimming performance. In this study, we investigated the impact of externally attached pop-up data storage tags (PDSTs) on the departure direction, time spent at the release location and ground speed of European eels (Anguilla anguilla). Results We tagged 66 eels with internal acoustic transmitters of which half of the eels were additionally tagged with externally attached PDSTs. A network of acoustic receivers allowed us to analyse if the dispersal behaviour (i.e. residence time and departure direction) from the release site differed between eels tagged with and without the PDSTs. In addition, we tracked the eels for ca. 83 km in the marine environment and determined their migration speed. The results showed no differences between eels tagged with or without external PDSTs in respect of the external tagging effect on residence time (n = 60), departure direction at the release site (n = 60) or on the migration speed (n = 20). Conclusions We conclude that the impact of the PDSTs is minimal on these metrics for at least the first part of the marine migration. While these field-based findings suggest that anguillid eels may be largely unaffected by the applied PDSTs, we recognize that more research is needed in both the field and the laboratory to study the impact of PDSTs and externally attached tags in general on fish swimming performance and energy expenditure. This can help interpret the results from the field, but also aid developing more hydrodynamic tag shapes or improved attachment methods.
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| 7. |
- Jansson, Samuel, et al.
(author)
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Passive kHz lidar for the quantification of insect activity and dispersal
- 2018
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In: Animal Biotelemetry. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2050-3385. ; 6:1
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background: In recent years, our group has developed electro-optical remote sensing methods for the monitoring and classification of aerofauna. These methods include active lidar methods and passive, so-called dark-field methods that measure scattered sunlight. In comparison with satellite- and airborne remote sensing, our methods offer a spatiotemporal resolution several orders of magnitude higher, and unlike radar, they can be employed close to ground. Whereas passive methods are desirable due to lower power consumption and ease of use, they have until now lacked ranging capabilities. Results: In this work, we demonstrate how passive ranging of sparse insects transiting the probe volume can be achieved with quadrant sensors. Insects are simulated in a raytracing model of the probe volume, and a ranging equation is devised based on the simulations. The ranging equation is implemented and validated with field data, and system parameters that vary with range are investigated. A model for estimating insect flight headings with modulation spectroscopy is implemented and tested with inconclusive results. Insect fluxes are retrieved through time-lag correlation of quadrant detector segments, showing that insects flew more with than against the wind during the study period. Conclusions: The presented method demonstrates how ranging can be achieved with quadrant sensors, and how it can be implemented with or without active illumination. A number of insect flight parameters can be extracted from the data produced by the sensor and correlated with complementary information about weather and topography. The approach has the potential to become a widespread and simple tool for monitoring abundances and fluxes of pests and disease vectors in the atmosphere.
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| 8. |
- McCafferty, Dominic J., et al.
(author)
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Challenges of measuring body temperatures of free-ranging birds and mammals
- 2015
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In: Animal Biotelemetry. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2050-3385. ; 3:1
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The thermal physiology of most birds and mammals is characterised by considerable spatial and temporal variation in body temperature. Body temperature is, therefore, a key parameter in physiological, behavioural and ecological research. Temperature measurements on freely moving or free-ranging animals in the wild are challenging but can be undertaken using a range of techniques. Internal temperature may be sampled using thermometry, surgically implanted loggers or transmitters, gastrointestinal or non-surgically placed devices. Less invasive approaches measure peripheral temperature with subcutaneous passive integrated transponder tags or skin surface-mounted radio transmitters and data loggers, or use infrared thermography to record surface temperature. Choice of technique is determined by focal research question and region of interest that reflects appropriate physiological or behavioural causal mechanisms of temperature change, as well as welfare and logistical considerations. Particularly required are further studies that provide opportunities of continuously sampling from multiple sites from within the body. This will increase our understanding of thermoregulation and temperature variation in different parts of the body and how these temperatures may change in response to physiological, behavioural and environmental parameters. Technological advances that continue to reduce the size and remote sensing capability of temperature recorders will greatly benefit field research.
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| 9. |
- Månefjord, Hampus, et al.
(author)
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Hyperspectral lidar for monitoring high-resolution activity patterns of African stingless bee species
- 2024
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In: Animal Biotelemetry. - 2050-3385. ; 12:1
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background: Stingless bees are vital pollinators and honey producers in the tropics. Research on stingless bees is generally underrepresented compared to the western honeybees, and while stingless bee studies from some regions are reported, there is a particular lack of reports on the species endemic to Sub-Saharan Africa. Since conventional entomological methods such as mark-recapture and radar harmonic tags suffer from limited observation counts and amount to a significant payload, fluorescent powder tagging offers a promising alternative to understanding their behavior. We deploy a hyperspectral fluorescence lidar monitors a 25-mm-wide transect in front of the hives. Results: During a 1 day study at the International Stingless Bee Center, near Kakum National Park, Ghana, 17,862 insects were observed with the lidar, of which 7520 were tagged with fluorescent dyes. Approximately half of the bees from the selected hives were successfully tagged, with an estimated misclassification of 1%. According to our limited data, the observed species, Meliponula bocandei and the Dactylurina staudingeri exhibited different activity patterns. D. staudingeri displayed a half-hour longer active day, with clear crepuscular activity peaks. In contrast, M. bocandei activity was diurnal, with less pronounced crepuscular peaks. Conclusions: We demonstrate how hyperspectral fluorescence lidar can monitor powder-tagged insects throughout the day. The monitored species revealed distinct activity patterns over the day. Our findings highlight the potential of this technology as a valuable tool for understanding insect behavior and environmental preferences of species, in situ, which could potentially give clues of response to climate changes of these critical species.
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| 10. |
- Rydhmer, Klas, et al.
(author)
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Scheimpflug lidar range profiling of bee activity patterns and spatial distributions
- 2022
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In: Animal Biotelemetry. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2050-3385. ; 10:1
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background: Recent declines of honeybees and simplifications of wild bee communities, at least partly attributed to changes of agricultural landscapes, have worried both the public and the scientific community. To understand how wild and managed bees respond to landscape structure it is essential to investigate their spatial use of foraging habitats. However, such studies are challenging since the foraging behaviour of bees differs between species and can be highly dynamic. Consequently, the necessary data collection is laborious using conventional methods and there is a need for novel methods that allow for automated and continuous monitoring of bees. In this work, we deployed an entomological lidar in a homogenous white clover seed crop and profiled the activity of honeybees and other ambient insects in relation to a cluster of beehives. Results: In total, 566,609 insect observations were recorded by the lidar. The total measured range distribution was separated into three groups, out of which two were centered around the beehives and considered to be honeybees, while the remaining group was considered to be wild insects. The validity of this model in separating honeybees from wild insects was verified by the average wing modulation frequency spectra in the dominating range interval for each group. The temporal variation in measured activity of the assumed honeybee observations was well correlated with honeybee activity indirectly estimated using hive scales as well as directly observed using transect counts. Additional insight regarding the three-dimensional distribution of bees close to the hive was provided by alternating the beam between two heights, revealing a “funnel like” distribution around the beehives, widening with height. Conclusions: We demonstrate how lidar can record very high numbers of insects during a short time period. In this work, a spatial model, derived from the detection limit of the lidar and two Gaussian distributions of honeybees centered around their hives was sufficient to reproduce the observations of honeybees and background insects. This methodology can in the future provide valuable new information on how external factors influence pollination services and foraging habitat selection and range of both managed bees and wild pollinators.
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