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Establishing bio-logging data collections as dynamic archives of animal life on Earth

Rapid growth in bio-logging—the use of animal-borne electronic tags to document the movements, behaviour, physiology and environments of wildlife—offers opportunities to mitigate biodiversity threats and expand digital natural history archives. Here we present a vision to achieve such benefits by accounting for the heterogeneity inherent to bio-logging data and the concerns of those who collect and use them. First, we can enable data integration through standard vocabularies, transfer protocols and aggregation protocols, and drive their wide adoption. Second, we need to develop integrated data collections on standardized data platforms that support data preservation through public archiving and strategies that ensure long-term access. We outline pathways to reach these goals, highlighting the need for resources to govern community data standards and guide data mobilization efforts. We propose the launch of a community-led coordinating body and provide recommendations for how stakeholders—including government data centres, museums and those who fund, permit and publish bio-logging work—can support these efforts.

Details

Type A1: Web of Science-article
Category Research
Magazine Nature Ecology and Evolution
Issns 2397-334X
Language English
Bibtex

@misc{007418d4-ce3a-41e5-87ee-e471d31c12fd,
title = "Establishing bio-logging data collections as dynamic archives of animal life on Earth",
abstract = "Rapid growth in bio-logging—the use of animal-borne electronic tags to document the movements, behaviour, physiology and environments of wildlife—offers opportunities to mitigate biodiversity threats and expand digital natural history archives. Here we present a vision to achieve such benefits by accounting for the heterogeneity inherent to bio-logging data and the concerns of those who collect and use them. First, we can enable data integration through standard vocabularies, transfer protocols and aggregation protocols, and drive their wide adoption. Second, we need to develop integrated data collections on standardized data platforms that support data preservation through public archiving and strategies that ensure long-term access. We outline pathways to reach these goals, highlighting the need for resources to govern community data standards and guide data mobilization efforts. We propose the launch of a community-led coordinating body and provide recommendations for how stakeholders—including government data centres, museums and those who fund, permit and publish bio-logging work—can support these efforts.",
author = "Sarah C. Davidson and Francesca Cagnacci and Peggy Newman and Holger Dettki and Ferdinando Urbano and Peter Desmet and Lenore Bajona and Edmund Bryant and Ana P. B. Carneiro and Maria P. Dias and Ei Fujioka and David Gambin and Xavier Hoenner and Colin Hunter and Akiko Kato and Connie Y. Kot and Bart Kranstauber and Chi Hin Lam and Denis Lepage and Hemal Naik and Jonathan D. Pye and Ana M. M. Sequeira and Vardis M. Tsontos and Emiel van Loon and Danny Vo and Christian Rutz",
year = "2025",
month = jan,
day = "03",
doi = "https://doi.org/10.1038/s41559-024-02585-4",
language = "English",
publisher = "Instituut voor Natuur- en Bosonderzoek",
address = "Belgium,
type = "Other"
}

Authors

Sarah C. Davidson
Francesca Cagnacci
Peggy Newman
Holger Dettki
Ferdinando Urbano
Peter Desmet
Lenore Bajona
Edmund Bryant
Ana P. B. Carneiro
Maria P. Dias
Ei Fujioka
David Gambin
Xavier Hoenner
Colin Hunter
Akiko Kato
Connie Y. Kot
Bart Kranstauber
Chi Hin Lam
Denis Lepage
Hemal Naik
Jonathan D. Pye
Ana M. M. Sequeira
Vardis M. Tsontos
Emiel van Loon
Danny Vo
Christian Rutz