EAger: Accelerometry as a tool for quantifying cryptic behavior and activity-specific energy expenditure in large marine animals

Mote Marine Laboratory, Sarasota FL

Investigators

Abstract

Although recent advances in animal tracking technology have revealed large-scale movements of marine animals, little is known about fine-scale aspects of their behavior and ecology. Accelerometers represent a recent and likely transformative tool to study animal behavior by recording the frequency and force of swimming movements as well as the animal?s body orientation. These data can be used to quantify specific behaviors (e.g. resting, swimming, feeding, mating, escape responses, etc.) using wave-analysis techniques, and thus compile a continuous picture of an animal's activities for days at a time. Additionally, overall dynamic body acceleration (ODBA) has been shown to correlate strongly with oxygen consumption in a broad range of vertebrates, meaning acceleration may serve as a proxy for energy expenditure. Despite the exceptional promise of accelerometers, controlled studies are required before they can be utilized to their full potential. This project will develop and refine the use of accelerometry on a large marine species that is amenable to captive experiments and that can be observed behaving naturally in the wild: the nurse shark, Ginglymostoma cirratum. Captive experiments will be used to evaluate different attachment methods and analyses for quantifying behaviors, tailbeat kinematics, and energy expenditure. Field experiments will be conducted to validate the results of captive trials and identify patterns of behavior and relative energy expenditure of wild animals. This study will provide a methodological and analytical guide for the use of accelerometry to quantify behaviors and energy expenditure in large marine animals. It will also support a postdoctoral scholar and provide research opportunities for a graduate student and two undergraduate interns at Mote Marine Laboratory (MML) and Swansea University. A unique collaboration with Untamed Science will allow the project to be filmed and used to illustrate concepts for chapter-specific videos distributed with science textbooks to millions of K-12 students nationwide.