Development of a miniaturized tracking system for remote monitoring of fauna

• Grant number: 22/07779-2
• Support Opportunities: Research Grants - Innovative Research in Small Business - PIPE
• Start date: February 01, 2023
• End date: October 31, 2023
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Ecology - Applied Ecology
• Principal Investigator: Rafaela Cobucci Cerqueira
• Grantee: Rafaela Cobucci Cerqueira
• Company: Signature Planejamento e Conservação Ltda
• CNAE: Atividades técnicas relacionadas à arquitetura e engenharia ; Pesquisa e desenvolvimento experimental em ciências físicas e naturais
• Pesquisadores principais: Túlio Pires Oliveira
• Associated researchers: Renata Gonçalves Ferreira
• Associated scholarship(s): 23/02091-5 - Development of a miniaturized tracking system for remote monitoring of fauna, BP.PIPE; 23/02783-4 - Development of a miniaturized tracking system for remote monitoring of fauna, BP.PIPE

Abstract

Understanding animal movement is essential for planning urban development aimed at conserving biodiversity. Individual tracking through telemetry consists in use of monitoring systems to obtain, process and transmit data on the location of animals at distance, and optimizes the phase of mapping the local fauna. Generally, a data transmitter is attached to the animal (eg, on a collar or tag) and a receiver allows the acquisition of the data. However, there are some limitations related to the systems currently available. The VHF technology, for example, in which the animals are equipped with transmitters that emit radio signals, requires that the receivers be close enough to the animals to capture the positions, which demands considerable field effort and can affect the behavior of individuals of some species due to the proximity of the researchers. In satellite telemetry, data from radio transmitters is received by satellites or, in the case of collars or GPS tags, the satellites transmit their location data to the collar or tag on the animal, which acts as a receiver. In both cases, the data is processed and can be transmitted to researchers remotely, eliminating the need for fieldwork. However, there is the disadvantage of the high cost of these technologies that make them unfeasible for most research projects in Brazil. Furthermore, for any of these existing technologies, consideration must be given to the portion of the system that is attached to the animal: there is a tradeoff between size and weight versus the system's battery life. For different species, there are maximum size and weight recommendations to avoid damage to the behavior and welfare of the animals. Since the lifespan of a battery is proportional to its size, tracking small animals is limited to short-term studies or requires consecutive captures of animals for battery replacement. In this context, the objective of the present project is to develop a miniaturized system for tracking terrestrial animals that optimizes the balance between these limitations, allowing long-term monitoring and remote and long-range data download. The system, which will consist of a hardware made up of portable transmitters and storage and receiving stations, will make use of LoRa ® (Low Power Long Range) technology to record the locations of the animals and transmit the data at distance. Such technology uses radiofrequency and allows communication over long distances with reduced energy costs. The development of this project will constitute an important technological advance for the national market, to be applied in studies of movement ecology and conservation not only of small species, but of all terrestrial species that are currently dependent on international technologies in their studies. (AU)