A web of organism-based sensors
Alongside DNA-based/web-era taxonomy efforts, the most exciting areas for me in biology these days are the linkages with IT. Cameras, sensors, web-enabled devices, and the "internet of things" promise a very interesting future for biology and conservation science. One aspect of this is tagging -- not web 2.0-style tagging, but electronic (usually satellite/GPS-capable) sensors, "tags," attached to individual animals. Ever since I worked in Yellowstone nearly 10 years ago using radiotelemetry to track radio-collared wolves, I've seen what information about location and movement of individual animals can do for science. I had thought at the time how cool it would be to get near-real-time data of organisms and plot it with GIS. We're taught that a mountain lion has a home range of 20 square miles, but is there empirical data? Is this the case in urban/wildland interface areas? In areas where wolves have been re-introduced? Imagine being able to see this unfolding live.
It's happening, not with wolves and mountain lions, but in the ocean. A number of research programs are using tags on fish, marine mammals, and birds, not only generating data about an individual organism's movements, but gathering environmental information on temperature, salinity, pressure, and light levels for parts of the ocean that are often largely unstudied. Such organism-based sensors are providing TOPP (Tagging of Pacific Pelagics) -- an interdisciplinary research project run by a group of oceanographic researchers, biologists, and engineers -- with valuable information.
Experienced researchers know the folly of assuming that because we can see nothing, there is nothing that matters -- especially since there’s no doubt that the oceans and global climate are intimately connected. Hence, arrays of new observing systems are springing up across the oceans. TOPP’s unique contribution is attaching electronic tags to more than 4,000 animals comprising 23 species, including white sharks, albatross, squid and bluefin tuna. They act as fleets of roving sensors that naturally home in on the most important parts of the oceans – the migratory paths of marine animals and the enormous, dynamic, swirling hot-spots of food. Sending data from the sensors that will ensure their future, these animals already comprise the largest undersea network in the world.
Tracking individual organisms' location over time is a logistical and technical feat in itself with huge scientific and conservation benefits stemming from the ability to do it reliably, widely, and cheaply. Throw in the ability to track environmental data as well and you have the potential for truly transformative science. Also: sharks with frickin' webcams mounted on their heads!!
Follow TOPP's progress on their blog.
