IMOS Animal Tracking: Acoustic Receiver Locations in Australian Waters

Acoustic Telemetry Sub-Facility supports a large network of strategically located acoustic receivers in waters around Australia to detect and track tagged animals. The dataset collection on the AODN Portal displays the most recent receiver deployment for each station, with active deployments defined as those not recovered within 24 months. The data page is hosted by the Australian Ocean Data Network and updated by the Animal Tracking Facility team.

Use Cases

• Analyze animal migratory patterns based on acoustic detection data.
• Assess habitat use and home range size based on receiver network detections.
• Evaluate the effectiveness of marine protected areas based on animal movement data.
• Refine stock assessments for marine species based on long-term tracking information.

Strengths

• Data is part of a national telemetry network maintained by the IMOS Animal Tracking Facility and collaborators.
• Receiver deployments can last from 1 to 10 years, enabling long-term observation.
• The network can monitor animal movements over scales from hundreds of metres to thousands of kilometres.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Only the most recent receiver deployment for each station is displayed, limiting historical analysis.

Provenance

Source

Australian Ocean Data Network (AODN) and the IMOS Animal Tracking Facility.

Collection Method

Data collected by a network of acoustic receivers strategically deployed on the sea floor.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-07-13 20:22:57.162776; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Waters around Australia, including coastal and continental shelf ecosystems.