title: Finding our way: On the sharing and reuse of animal telemetry data in Australasia.
abstract: The presence and movements of organisms both reflect and influence the distribution of ecological resources in space and time. The monitoring of animal movement by telemetry devices is being increasingly used to inform management of marine, freshwater and terrestrial ecosystems. Here, we brought together academics, and environmental managers to determine the extent of animal movement research in the Australasian region, and assess the opportunities and challenges in the sharing and reuse of these data. This working group was formed under the Australian Centre for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis (ACEAS), whose overall aim was to facilitate trans-organisational and transdisciplinary synthesis. We discovered that between 2000 and 2012 at least 501 peer-reviewed scientific papers were published that report animal location data collected by telemetry devices from within the Australasian region. Collectively, this involved the capture and electronic tagging of 12 656 animals. The majority of studies were undertaken to address specific management questions; rarely were these data used beyond their original intent. We estimate that approximately half (~500) of all animal telemetry projects undertaken remained unpublished, a similar proportion were not discoverable via online resources, and less than 8.8% of all animals tagged and tracked had their data stored in a discoverable and accessible manner. Animal telemetry data contain a wealth of information about how animals and species interact with each other and the landscapes they inhabit. These data are expensive and difficult to collect and can reduce survivorship of the tagged individuals, which implies an ethical obligation to make the data available to the scientific community. This is the first study to quantify the gap between telemetry devices placed on animals and findings/data published, and presents methods for improvement. Instigation of these strategies will enhance the cost-effectiveness of the research and maximise its impact on the management of natural resources.
authors: Department of Ecosystem Management, School of Environment and Rural Sciences, University of New England, Armidale, NSW, Australia. Electronic address: hamish.campbell@une.edu.au.
authors: Hamish A
authors: HA
authors: Campbell
authors: ARC Centre of Excellence for Environmental Decisions, Centre for Biodiversity & Conservation Science, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.
authors: Hawthorne L
authors: HL
authors: Beyer
authors: School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland, New Zealand.
authors: Todd E
authors: TE
authors: Dennis
authors: School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, Australia.
authors: Ross G
authors: RG
authors: Dwyer
authors: Dept. Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN, USA.
authors: James D
authors: JD
authors: Forester
authors: Department of Land Resource Management, PO Box 496, Palmerston, NT, Australia.
authors: Yusuke
authors: Y
authors: Fukuda
authors: Arid Recovery, PO Box 147, Roxby Downs, SA, Australia.
authors: Catherine
authors: C
authors: Lynch
authors: University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS, Australia.
authors: Mark A
authors: MA
authors: Hindell
authors: Queensland Department of Science, Information, Technoloty, Innovation and the Arts, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.
authors: Norbert
authors: N
authors: Menke
authors: Ecotono, INIBIOMA-CONICET, Universidad Nacional del Comahue, Quintral 1250, 8400 Bariloche, Argentina.
authors: Juan M
authors: JM
authors: Morales
authors: Ecological Resources Information Network, Department of the Environment, Canberra, ACT, Australia.
authors: Craig
authors: C
authors: Richardson
authors: School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, Australia.
authors: Essie
authors: E
authors: Rodgers
authors: Department of Conservation, PO Box 10420, Wellington 6143, New Zealand.
authors: Graeme
authors: G
authors: Taylor
authors: ARC Centre of Excellence for Environmental Decisions, Centre for Biodiversity & Conservation Science, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.
authors: Matt E
authors: ME
authors: Watts
authors: Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, PO Box 780, Atherton, QLD, Australia.
authors: David A
authors: DA
authors: Westcott
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D044362:Australasia; D044822:Biodiversity; D017753:Ecosystem; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D040362:Geographic Information Systems; D013686:Telemetry
keywords: ARGOS; Biotelemetry; GPS; Inter-disciplinary; Movement ecology; Wildlife tracking