An integrative modelling framework for passive acoustic telemetry
Abstract
Passive acoustic telemetry is widely used to study the movements of aquatic animals. However, a holistic, mechanistic modelling framework that permits the reconstruction of fine-scale movements and emergent patterns of space use from detections at receivers remains lacking. Here, we introduce an integrative modelling framework that recapitulates the movement and detection processes that generate detections to reconstruct fine-scale movements and patterns of space use. This framework is supported by a new family of algorithms designed for detection and depth observations and can be flexibly extended to incorporate other data types. Using simulation, we illustrate applications of our framework and evaluate algorithm utility and sensitivity in different settings. As a case study, we analyse movement data collected from the Critically Endangered flapper skate (Dipturus intermedius) in Scotland. We show that our methods can be used to reconstruct fine-scale movement paths, patterns of space use and support habitat preference analyses. For reconstructing patterns of space use, simulations show that the methods are consistently more instructive than the most widely used alternative approach (the mean-position algorithm), particularly in clustered receiver arrays. For flapper skate, the reconstruction of movements reveals responses to disturbance, fine-scale spatial partitioning and patterns of space use with significant implications for marine management. We conclude that this framework represents a widely applicable methodological advance with applications to studies of pelagic, demersal and benthic species across multiple spatiotemporal scales.
Citation
Lavender , E , Biber , S , Illian , J , James , M , Wright , P J , Thorburn , J & Smout , S 2023 , ' An integrative modelling framework for passive acoustic telemetry ' , Methods in Ecology and Evolution , vol. 14 , no. 10 , pp. 2626-2638 . https://doi.org/10.1111/2041-210X.14193
Publication
Methods in Ecology and Evolution
Status
Peer reviewed
ISSN
2041-210XType
Journal article
Description
Funding: The work was supported by a PhD Studentship at the University of St Andrews funded by NatureScot, via the Marine Alliance for Science and Technology for Scotland (MASTS), and the Centre for Research into Ecological and Environmental Modelling. Data were made available through the Movement Ecology of Flapper Skate project funded by NatureScot (project 015960) and Marine Scotland (projects SP004 and SP02B0). Jane Dodd, Ronnie Campbell, Roger Eaton, Francis Neat and Dmitry Aleynik supported this project. MASTS and Shark Guardian provided additional funding. MASTS is funded by the Scottish Funding Council (grant reference HR09011) and contributing institutions.Collections
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