Animal Telemetry Network - Integrated Ocean Observing System
Original (non-English) name
Acronym
Animal Telemetry Network - IOOS
Citation
Abstract
Gathering information on the behavior and movement of marine animals is an essential part of the responsibilities of our national agencies charged with protecting endangered and threatened marine species as well as providing ecosystem-based management of commercially harvested marine resources. This data and information, collected remotely via acoustic and satellite telemetry techniques, assists specifically with implementing the Endangered Species Act, the Marine Mammal Protection Act and the Fur Seal Act, performing National Environmental Policy Act analyses, providing Incidental Harassment Authorizations and conducting Section 7 Interagency Consultations.
The data is applied broadly to assess marine animal habitat use, detect changes in their migratory routes in relation to oil & gas activities and climate variability, monitor changing movement patterns with increasing ship traffic to assist with marine mammal avoidance and improve abundance/population estimates to ensure both the conservation and sustainable management of commercially harvested species as well as responsibly sustained subsistence livelihoods.
The multi-agency U.S. Animal Telemetry Network (ATN) has been established to provide unity, stability and continuity to the national infrastructure that facilitates the collection, management and availability of this marine animal telemetry data. To accomplish its mission, the ATN is being implemented in three Phases and on these three foundational pillars: 1) Building Alliances and Collaborations, 2) Providing Telemetry Data Aggregation, Management, Display and Delivery, and 3) Funding High Priority Regional Baseline Animal Telemetry Observations.