20 November 2019 (written by Lauren Peel)
The Sequeira Lab has been up to a lot throughout 2019! Together with our many collaborators, we are leading and contributing to global studies on animal movement and conservation. Here is a quick summary (with links) about what we have been up to!
The past decade has brought with it major advances in technology that allow scientists to be more connected than ever and to learn more about the animals they study. For example, the field of satellite telemetry has greatly expanded and satellite now allow us to follow marine megafauna, including sharks, whales, seals and penguins, while they go about their migrations. In addition to showing us where these animals go, this technology can also reveal the environmental conditions that megafauna face as they travel (sometimes in real-time!).
While each animal track is valuable in its own right, the true potential of tracking datasets can only be achieved by bringing them together. Whether it is revealing common patterns of movement across marine megafauna species, assessing the impacts of pelagic fisheries on shark populations, or examining how these animals are threatened by a suite of anthropogenic factors on a global scale, our ability to effectively design conservation strategies for these species can be greatly improved by incorporating animal tracking data into policy and management planning. To know more, have a peek at our Projects page or keep reading our News below!
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