Tagging through the stages: technical and ecological challenges in observing life histories through biologging

摘要

Biologging data have provided important insights into the biology of marine mammals, sea turtles, birds, fish, and some invertebrates. These techniques have primarily targeted adult organisms. As a result, the early life histories of many marine species are still poorly understood. Technological advances have enabled attachment of smaller tags to young animals, although equipment limitations, access to and capture/handling of animals, and equipment and data recovery pose additional challenges to researchers. In this Theme Section, we highlight novel uses of biologging data on juvenile animals, including reviews of tagging efforts on multiple life-history stages and the integration of oceanographic data in tagging efforts.