Asset Tracking Whales—First Deployment of a Custom-Made GPS/GSM Suction Cup Tag on Migrating Humpback Whales

Abstract

The study of marine mammals is greatly enhanced through fine scale data on habitat use. Here we used a commonly available asset tracker Global Positioning System/Global Systems for Mobile Communication (GPS/GSM) integrated into a CATS suction cup tag to test its feasibility in providing real time location position on migrating humpback whales in coastal waters of eastern Australia. During two deployments—one on a suspected male and another on a female humpback whale—the tags provided location points with relatively high accuracy for both individuals albeit different swim behavior and surface intervals. In combination with an integrated archival data logger, the tag also provided detailed information on fine scale habitat use such as dive profiles. However, surface intervals were too short to allow for an upload of location data during deployment. Further improvements of the tag design will allow remote access to location data after deployment. Preliminary results suggested location acquisition was better when the tag was positioned well above the midline of the whale body. The technology promises less expensive, more reliable and more accurate short-term tracking of humpback whales compared to satellite relay tags, and it has the potential to be deployed on other marine mammals in coastal waters.

Enhancing Asset Security by Integrating Internet of Things on Non-Powered Assets

“…Slight variations in the location coordinates even when the device was stationary implied that location determination using GPS has a certain degree of uncertainty. Findings of Meynecke and Liebsch (2021) agree with this by the fact that localization using GPS requires clear space between the GPS module and satellite signals. Although indoor localization using GPS and GSM may not be effective due to poor network coverage, the devices work well in outdoor conditions.…”

First Suction Cup Tagging on a Small and Coastal Form Bryde’s Whale (Balaenoptera edeni edeni) in China to Investigate Its Dive Profiles and Foraging Behaviours

“…It is a powerful device that is attached with suction cups on the dorsal side and records behavioural data of the animal (depth orientation, locomotion, etc.). It has been extensively used on a variety of whales [19,[45][46][47]. The model that we choose is the CATS Diary Basic WIFI + Hydrophone add-on (HTI 96 mini).…”

“…We can infer animal behaviours, including underwater behaviours, from the collection of a wide range of biological and environmental information by the tags integrated with Global Positioning System (GPS), accelerometers, magnetometers, pressure sensors and acoustic recorders. Unlike the anchored and consolidated tags [8][9][10][11], tags with suction cups do not penetrate the animals' skin and can be used to investigate movements within a range of meters to kilometers for hours to days [12][13][14][15][16][17][18], making them applicable for important insights into habitat preferences [19,20], which is also important for conservation management in the light of increasing anthropogenic impacts on coastal habitats. Suction cup tags are more available for tagging large whales rather than pinnipeds and small odontocetes, not only because large whales cannot be easily captured and their sloughing skin makes the use of traditional epoxy or glue methods unfeasible, but also because large whales usually have a long surface time, convenient for deployment of suction cup tags.…”

Characterizing movement and searching behavior of humpback whales along the North-Norwegian coast

“…For humpback whales, large-scale movement patterns have been extensively documented over the past decades for some populations (32)(33)(34)(35)(36). However, movement behavior at smaller scales, and characterization of multiple movement modes that extends travelling versus feeding are not properly studied (7,37,38).…”

“…resting or socializing. Humpback whales are known to engage in social behaviors and surface activities, including peduncle throws and tail slapping, during which they tend to be more stationary (37). However, considering the presence of overwintering herring on the continental shelf (44), and the likelihood of higher whale densities within the fjord areas for socializing, we contend that the "long roundtrip" behavior primarily revolves around food-seeking activities as a precursor to their southward breeding migration.…”