Telemetry

• Lecture Outline

– Information from telemetry

– Acoustic (ultrasonic) telemetry

– Radio telemetry

• Assignments

Uses of telemetry

1) Monitor activity patterns

2) Home range data

3) Habitat use

4) Dispersal

5) Follow migration

6) Behavior

7) Survival

Design of a tracking study

1) Define scope of project

2) Study existing information

3) Hypotheses

4) Data collection procedure

5) Methodology and sample size

6) Data collection

7) Data analysis

Why do a telemetry study?

1) Lots of information can be gathered

2) Pinpoint locations

3) But can be very expensive

4) Usually on fewer animals that other types of studies

Ultrasonic telemetry

1) Advantages

a) Can be used in waters with high conductivity

b) Can be used in deep water

c) Very accurate location

2) Disadvantages

a) Not good for highly mobile species

b) Relatively small number of frequencies

c) Interference with:

d) Algae, macrophytes, thermoclines and water turbulence

Radio Telemetry

1) Advantages

a) Not affected by turbulence, algae, or temperature

b) Good for tracking highly mobile species

c) Can have huge number of frequencies to identify individuals

2) Disadvantages

a) Doesn’t work in high conductivity waters (> 400 :S/cm)

b) Signal diminishes with depth (> 5m)

Attachment techniques

1) Considerations

a) Morphology

b) Habitat

c) Project objectives

2) External transmitters

a) Advantages

i) Quick attachment and release

ii) Allows sensing of external environment

b) Disadvantages

i) Balance

ii) Snags

iii) Drag

iv) Abrasions

3) Internal transmitters

a) Stomach insertion

i) Quick

ii) May rupture esophagus, regurgitation,

b) Surgical implantation

i) Risk infection, surgery take time

ii) Transmitters lost through transintestinal expulsion

Receivers and antenna

1) Ultrasonic

a) Omnidirectional

b) Directional

2) Radio

a) Tuned loop

b) Yagi

c) Whip

Tracking

1) Boat

2) Airplane

3) Triangulation

4) Appearance at fish stations

5) Automated tracking