Development of a Micro Data Logger for Free Ranging Marine Animals

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We developed a micro data logger to obtain data on behavior, ecology and physiology of free ranging marine animals. In development our first effort emphasized miniaturization of the data logger to broaden the range of selection of target species. Improvement of memory size and data quality were also emphasized, because these determine total performance as an intelligent tag. The size of the newly developed data tag was 19.0mm in diameter, 75mm in length (cylindrical form) and weight 30g in air and 9g in fresh water. As memory size it can record 512,000 bits of data in total within 12 channels with 12 bits resolution (1/4,000 resolution). The sampling rate, selection of channels, work, and sleep intervals are controlled externally by a PC computer. We used the data tag on Adelie penguins Phygoscelis adeliae, Japanese cormorants Phalacrocorax filamentosus, king cormorants Phalacrocorax albiventer, flounders Paralichtys olivaceus and harbor propoise Phocoena phocoena. We successfully obtained data on swim depth, water temperature, and stomach temperature. Although not examined yet in free ranging animals, we also built data tags which can mcasure heart rate, swim velocity light intensity and water conductivity.