Making the most of aquatic animal tracking: a review of complementary methods to bolster acoustic telemetry

Tracking the movements of aquatic animals is a primary means of understanding movement ecology and interactions with human activities such as fisheries. Despite the diverse spatiotemporal scales that various underwater tracking tools (e.g., acoustic, satellite, PIT, radio, archival telemetry) enable, there are still limitations associated with their application and ability to address diverse research questions. In many cases, supplementary methods are used to complement tracking approaches either to overcome such limitations or to optimize the data that can be collected in a study. In this review, we synthesize relevant literature between 2010 and 2019 to evaluate the different types of complementary methods used with one of the main approaches for tracking fishes-acoustic telemetry. We categorize broad and specific methods used, as well as the outcome or objectives targeted for each method. In addition to summarizing the use of complementary methods and their outcomes, we discuss how they supplement acoustic telemetry and other tracking approaches. Our review shows that using additional methods to support telemetry data helps expand the breadth of research questions that can be addressed regarding the complex and assorted factors influencing movement patterns. Doing so enables greater value in movement ecology research and adjacent fields such as population dynamics, physiology, trophic ecology, reproduction, and health and survival, to underpin management decisions. This review serves as a primer and guide for bolstering data collection and multidisciplinary research within the growing field of movement ecology.

Automated summary

Tracking the movements of aquatic animals is crucial for understanding movement ecology and its interactions with human activities. Different underwater tracking tools have limitations, and complementary methods are often used to address these limitations. This review evaluates the combination of acoustic telemetry and complementary methods, and finds that using additional methods helps expand the breadth of research questions in movement ecology.