Marine Animal Tracking
Data tracking the movements of an elephant seal over three months.Copyright NOAA http://www.afsc.noaa.gov/nmml/education/science/studymmsealexample.php
Students are introduced to the ideas and implications of animal tracking, which is useful within scientific and commercial industries. For instance, when planning coastal area development, it is important to take into consideration animal presence and movement. Students are engaged in an activity to monitor animal foraging behavior on a spatial scale by working in groups to track each others' movements as they travel a pre-determined course. They record their results individually and collaboratively in an attempt to understand animal movement regarding foraging behavior. Students also engage in a creative design activity, focusing on how they would design a tag for a marine animal of their choice. To conclude, students are questioned about data interpretation and how spatial information is important in relation to commercial, conservation and scientific research decisions.
The presence and behavior of animals figures into the research and decision making of engineers involved in the commercial development of coastal areas. The creative design activity provides students the opportunity to think like engineers in developing a remote sensing tag that could be used for marine animal tracking and data collection.
- To be able to explain how animal habitats are mapped in the marine environment.
- To be able to identify current technologies employed in mapping resources.
- To collect, interpret and apply data related to the mapping of a marine habitat.
- To gain skills in designing research technology, specifically tag design.