Biological research on marine mammals using modern sensing and recording techniques

Abstract

Since the 1980 s, studies of the diving behavior of marine animals have been made possible by the development of time-depth recorders, which provide useful information on unrestrained dives. To make progress in understanding the underwater behaviors, however, three significant gaps in our knowledge must be filled: (1) the energy costs of diving; (2) prey distribution around animals; and (3) social interactions among individuals. Newly developed data loggers, which have mufti-sensors, are available to answer these questions. For example, acceleration data is useful for monitoring the flipper movements of animals and underwater digital cameras provide useful information on prey distribution and social interactions among individuals. We are entering a new era of technology for measuring the behavior, ecology, and physiology of marine mammals.