Development of a Miniature Video and Data Recorder for Monitoring the Behavior and Multi-dimensional Movements of Marine Animals at Sea

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The PI's request funding to build on a previous video and data recorder by developing miniature video and data recorders (mini-VDRs) that will monitor the behavior, three-dimensional movements, swimming performance, and environment of marine animals as small as 12 kg. The mini-VDR, which is 70% smaller than the current video and data recorders, will be used initially in a study of the hunting behavior and foraging strategies of free-ranging Antarctic fur seals. The new mini-VDR will consist of a single, resin encased instrument that will contain the video camera with near-infrared LEDs as a light source, fast-acquisition Global Positioning System (GPS), micro-controllers, sensors for pressure, swim speed, compass bearing, ambient temperature, light level, sound, tilt, pitch and roll, and replaceable lithium batteries. The use of on-the-fly MPEG4 video compression and a 4 gigabyte Flash memory card for storing digital video and audio will allow a considerable size reduction from previous designs while retaining full programmability.Broader ImpactsThe work that is planned will be of unusually great public interest. The animals are interesting, the research is innovative and adventurous, and the ability to follow animals in the wild as they travel to great depths and chase fish and other living creatures is bound to be fascinating. The team has an impressive record of reaching out to teachers and students. This project is a natural for extension to the public and for the potential to include students and non-professional researchers. The PI has a proven track record of making his research available to other researchers as well as producing an excellent website for layman. The proposal will deliver novel science that will also help promote teaching, training, and learning. Through proper outreach, this project will likely form an exciting example for a diverse group of individuals, not just for researchers, but also for teachers, communicators and for the general public.