Interaction between behavior of marine organisms and the performance of satellite transmitters: A marine turtle case study

Variation in the reproductive status and behavior of 21 female olive ridley turtles (Lepidochelys olivacea) tracked in the eastern Pacific Ocean influenced the performance of their satellite transmitters. During the internesting period when turtles were distributed in coastal waters, the proportion of days transmissions were received and the number of transmissions per satellite pass were low. Moreover, the accuracy was poor. After the nesting season when turtles migrated to oceanic waters, the proportion of days transmissions were received and the number of transmissions received per satellite pass increased. In addition, accuracy improved. The patterns of data acquisition revealed by behavioral changes in the turtles highlight the interaction between turtle behavior and transmitter performance. This finding underscores the need to tailor transmitter duty cycles to fit the ecology and behavior of the study organism to optimize both quantity and quality of data collected.

Interaction between behavior of marine organisms and the performance of satellite transmitters: A marine turtle case study Academic Article