Using Networks to Enhance Telemetry Research in the Eastern United States: The Atlantic Cooperative Telemetry Network

Passive acoustic telemetry is a relatively low cost and reliable method to examine patterns of habitat utilization, behavior, and movement over multiple spatial scales.  With the highly migratory nature of some aquatic organisms, and continued technological advances, issues including equipment compatibility, standardization, and data ownership/exchange between researchers needs to be addressed.  In an attempt to deal with these issues and maximize research potential, the Atlantic Cooperative Telemetry (ACT) Network was created to facilitate data sharing along the Atlantic coast.  The ACT Network started with word-of-mouth and email exchanges, but is now a more formalized network of researchers from Maine to Florida with arrays ranging in scale from small river drainages to extensive coastal systems.  We currently provide collaborators with transmitter codes shared by all members.  The level of sharing between collaborators is dependent on those involved; general or detailed information about transmitter location is provided on a case-by-case basis.  In order to enhance the Network, we are developing a web-based secure data sharing system, with the ability to provide summary detection locations and times to registered members.  We feel that the ACT Network is a model for developing collaborative efforts regionally and can play a role in larger scale networks.