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Mobile Phones for Geese and Seals

Posted by timothy on from the roaming-charges-apply dept.

prostoalex writes: "BBC News has two related articles about mobile phones and messaging being introduced to the animal world. The stories, aptly named Geese 'phone' home and Seals 'phone' home (kudos from this-title-is-so-original dept.) talk about 'tagged' animals that report about their location via the cellular systems. And if seal tracking is available only to the scientists in the field, following the geese online is open to anyone who contributes .75 British pounds to the research project."

2 of 93 comments (clear)

  1. WWT website by Chris_Keene · · Score: 2, Interesting
    The BBC link to this page, which provides some more maps of the birds progress.

    All the birds take the same route from Iceland to Greenland, even though they took the journey at different times. On the 4th of June Arnthor was well ahead of the pack (okay okay so it's not a race but), but by the 10th of June, it was clear he/she had decided to have a few days break on the edge of Greenland while Hugh and Kerry had a few days break. Also intresting is that these two birds both arrived on the same island, and it looks like they arrived at the same time, but at opposite ends of the island.

    This could be a new sport, taking bets on which bird gets to Canada first - with daily web updates. More exciting than the football.

    --
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  2. Only the seals are using mobile phone tech by ukryule · · Score: 3, Interesting
    The technical info about the Seals is available here. To quote:

    The study will be split into two phases. In phase one, simple mobile phone tags will regularly send text messages from grey seal pups to computers at the University, allowing scientists to examine which factors affect their survival through their first year. In phase two, GPS (Global Positioning System) and depth sensors will be added, allowing, through GPRS, (General Packet Radio Service) massive volumes of detailed track and dive behaviour to be sent ashore.


    However, the Geese are actually using a satellite tracking system (as described in not much detail here). The text message bit is just an advertising thing that the WWT will send you an SMS when they get data - which is nothing new technically.

    I'd be interested in the battery requirements for both of them though - I've got this image in my head of a seal trying to wind up a charger ...