Residency and space use estimation methods based on passive acoustic telemetry data

Acoustic telemetry has helped overcome many of the challenges faced when studying the movement ecology of aquatic species, allowing to obtain unprecedented amounts of data. This has made it into one of the most widely used methods nowadays. Many ways to analyse acoustic telemetry data have been made available and deciding on how to analyse the data requires considering the type of research objectives, relevant properties of the data (e.g., resolution, study design, equipment), habits of the study species, researcher experience, among others. To ease this decision process, here we showcase (1) some of the methods used to estimate pseudo-positions and positions from raw acoustic telemetry data, (2) methods to estimate residency and (3) methods to estimate two-dimensional home and occurrence range using geometric or hull-based methods and density-distribution methods, a network-based approach, and three-dimensional methods. We provide examples of some of these were tested using a sample of real data. With this we intend to provide the necessary background for the selection of the method(s) that better fit specific research objectives when using acoustic telemetry.

Automated summary

Acoustic telemetry has become one of the most widely used methods in studying the movement ecology of aquatic species, thanks to its ability to obtain large amounts of data. The analysis of acoustic telemetry data involves considering various factors such as research objectives, data properties, species habits, and researcher experience. This study showcases different methods for estimating positions, residency, and home range using geometric, density-distribution, network-based, and three-dimensional approaches, and provides examples using real data. The aim is to assist researchers in selecting the most suitable method(s) for their research objectives when utilizing acoustic telemetry.