Tracking the Motion: How scientists study animal movements

Have you ever wished that you could find an animal wherever it went in the world? What animal would you want to track? Maybe your dog? Maybe your cat? Maybe your brother or sister?

The world is a big place! How could we figure out how something moves around such a huge place?

We can do this using some of my satellite friends! Several satellites are made so that they can help track birds and other animals around the world. But how do they do this?

Here’s how: Scientists have given these animals their own special radios that can send signals to satellites! A pod of beluga whales A beluga whale with a radio fastened to its back Here’s the beluga whale, an animal that has been tracked by satellites.

Scientists take good care to make sure that the radios don’t hurt the animals. Swans with tracking radios Here’s Sir Syd the tundra swan, another animal that has been tracked by satellites. Sir Syd

These little radios send, or transmit, signals to satellites orbiting the Earth. The satellites then send these signals to a scientist’s computer. That way, the time and location of a signal can be tracked anywhere around the world!

Let’s pretend that I was helping a scientist who was at the red “x” to track Sir Syd living at the green “x”. x x See the next slide to see how we’d do it!

Let’s pretend that I was helping a scientist who was at the red “x” to track Sir Syd living at the green “x”. x x First, I’d listen for the special signal from Sir Syd’s radio telling me where he is located. See the green dashed line? That’s it!

Let’s pretend that I was helping a scientist who was at the red “x” to track a swan living at the green “x”. x x Next, I send a new signal of Sir Syd’s location to the scientist’s computer. That’s the red dashed line! Do you see it? So now I’ve got the swan’s signal.

Now, what happens once the signal gets to the red “x”? x x The scientist can put the information that she gets from the signal on a map, to show where Sir Syd is located! Here’s what the map might look like:

Let’s take a closer look at that map. See all of the different dates next to the dots? That’s where Sir Syd was located! Connecting those dots helps us track Sir Syd’s flight.

Maps like these are giving people new information about how amazing animals really are. We can use these data to protect habitat along the animals’ migration paths, and in their nesting and wintering grounds. All with the help of a few satellites like me. See you soon, Sir Syd the Tundra Swan! Honk honk! See you soon, Pixel!

Credits Dr. Scott Petrie Long Point Waterfowl & Wetlands Research Fund NOAA NASA