Description :
The Southern Ocean is a remote, hostile environment where conducting marine biology is challenging, so we know relatively little about this important region, which is critical as a habitat for breeding and foraging of many marine endotherms. Scientists from around the world have been tracking seals, penguins, petrels, whales and albatrosses for more than two decades to learn how they spend their time at sea. The Retrospective Analysis of Antarctic Tracking Data (RAATD), was initiated by the SCAR Expert Group on Marine Mammals (EG-BAMM) in 2010. This team has assembled tracking data shared by 38 biologists from 11 different countries to accumulate the largest animal tracking database in the world, containing information from 15 species, containing over 3,400 individual animals and almost 2.5 million at-sea locations. Analysing a dataset of this size brings its own challenges and the team is developing new and innovative statistical approaches to integrate these complex data. When complete RAATD will provide a greater understanding of fundamental ecosystem processes in the Southern Ocean, help predict the future of top predator distribution and help with spatial management planning.
Link GBIF portal : https://www.gbif.org/dataset/b86fe411-8e62-4cd0-aab2-914d75401598
Project :
Title : Retrospective Analysis of Antarctic Tracking data
Abstract : The Retrospective Analysis of Antarctic Tracking Data (RAATD) was initiated in 2010 by the Expert Group on Birds and Marine Mammals (EG-BAMM) and the Expert Group on Antarctic Biodiversity Informatics (EGABI) of the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR).
RAATD aims to advance our understanding of both fundamental and applied questions in a data-driven way, matching research priorities already identified by the SCAR Horizon Scanand key questions in animal movement ecology.
For these reasons, we worked on the collation, validation and preparation of tracking data collected south of 45° S. Data from over 70 contributors were collated. This database includes information from 17 predator species, including 4,060 individuals and over 2.9 million at-sea locations. To exploit this unique dataset, RAATD undertook a multi-species assessment of habitat use for higher predators in the Southern Ocean (Hindell et al. in prep.).
Funding : Support and funding were provided by supranational committees and organisations including the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research Life Science Group and BirdLife International, as well as from various national institutions (see also author affiliations) and foundations, including but not limited to Argentina (Dirección Nacional del Antártico), Australia (Australian Antarctic program; Australian Research Council; Sea World Research and Rescue Foundation Inc., IMOS is a national collaborative research infrastructure, supported by the Australian Government and operated by a consortium of institutions as an unincorporated joint venture, with the University of Tasmania as Lead Agent), Belgium (Belgian Science Policy Office), Brazil (Brazilian Antarctic Programme; Brazilian National Research Council (CNPq/MCTI) and CAPES), France (Agence Nationale de la Recherche; Centre National d’Etudes Spatiales; Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique; CESAB-FRB as part of the activities of the RAATD Working Group; Fondation Total; Institut Paul-Emile Victor; Programme Zone Atelier de Recherches sur l’Environnement Antarctique et Subantarctique; Terres Australes et Antarctiques Françaises), Germany (Hanse-Wissenschaftskolleg - Institute for Advanced Study), Italy (Italian National Antarctic Research Program; Ministry for Education University and Research), Japan (Japanese Antarctic Research Expedition; JSPS Kakenhi grant; National Science Foundation), Monaco (Fondation Prince Albert II de Monaco), New Zealand (National Environmental Research Council, Norway (National Environmental Research Council; Norwegian Antarctic Research Expeditions; Norwegian
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