Affordability & Higher Sample Size With SeaTags™
Satellite tagging capabilities are highly valued for any marine ecological study. Tagging projects can reveal the distribution of a population's migratory path, surrounding water temperature, depth profile, daily activity pattern and incidence of mortality for stock assessments. Cost is often the largest hindrance to tagging studies. How can a relevant sample size of data be obtained in order to produce a statistically meaningful study? In a world of competitive science and frequently constrained budgets the solution is not only technological innovation but also economic innovation.
Desert Star Systems has been manufacturing SeaTag's for meaningful data acquisition since 2011. SeaTag's are wildlife tags specifically designed to support economic viability for all tagging projects. With a modular design structure we can manufacture highly capable tags at a low cost, and with assurance of sample size through a tag replacement program called SeaTag-GOLD, you can really maximize the success of data recovery.
PSAT studies justify their cost by aiming to yield insightful and meaningful data that will inform policy makers, fishery managers and the public. They also provide a robust foundation for future studies. However, the power of these studies are determined by sample size, which is often restricted by tag cost. This means many PSAT studies have been conducted on the basis of ten samples or less, which poses valid concerns about statistical confidence. It also doesn’t help that expensive PSAT tags are subjected to many common risks such as predation, fishery interference and various environmental factors. If you are working with a sample size just barely sufficient for a study, a few lost or damaged tags could mean a failed project.
If however tag cost were lowered in a meaningful way such that many animals can be tagged at any one opportunity, then the power of each study could rise substantially, illuminating population behavior that can support stock assessments and provide a basis for policy changes.
Using A Magnetometer To Increase
Migratory Tracking Accuracy & Validation
In recent years Klimley et al. demonstrated the use of magnetic measurements result in robust and transparent (easily reproducible) directly measured migratory tracks. Yet, most tags still lack this capability. Without measured sensor data, tracks continue to be modeled based on uncertain tag measurements and matching models as is the case for SST, and with many built-in constraints such as track forcing to known tagging and pop-up points. These methods consequently harbor the potential for large errant loops, that on account of other constraints such as maximum allowed swimming speed or coast line avoidance, may still look entirely reasonable.
Accelerometry Of Sailfish
Pohlot et al. designed an accelerometry based daily activity study for sailfish using SeaTag-MOD™, and achieved reporting of 100% of the dataset on some tags, with varying rates from others. No small feat given that packet transmissions must be repeated many times on Argos to assure none is lost. In other cases, long reporting times are supporting the physical recovery of tags that can be tracked for months through the oceans until they arrive in a location were recovery is practical, either by boat or even via social media connections. CLS has recently improved their support of long-endurance reporting through recent price reductions to $63 USD per month of Argos reporting, and you can also purchase unlimited reporting and track processing through their Track&Loc program for a flat rate per tag.
|
