Acoustic Receiver Locations For Australian Marine Animal Tracking

Comprising locations for acoustic receivers deployed as part of the IMOS Animal Tracking Facility network in Australian coastal and shelf waters. It includes active deployments (not recovered within 24 months) and historical receiver stations, with deployments lasting from 1 to 10 years. The data is maintained by the Australian Ocean Data Network and the Animal Tracking Facility team.

Use Cases

• Map the spatial distribution of acoustic receiver stations to analyze network coverage across Australian marine ecosystems.
• Analyze deployment duration (1-10 years) and recovery status to assess receiver operational longevity and data collection gaps.
• Use receiver location data to model animal movement corridors and habitat use based on detection ranges from these stations.
• Identify active versus inactive deployments (based on a 24-month recovery threshold) for planning receiver maintenance and network optimization.

Strengths

• Deployments are strategically located across waters around Australia, providing national-scale coverage.
• Receiver deployments are long-term, with durations from 1 to 10 years depending on type and battery life.
• Data is updated by the dedicated Animal Tracking Facility team and hosted on the Australian Ocean Data Network Portal.

Limitations

• Only the most recent receiver deployment for each station is displayed, limiting historical deployment analysis.
• The dataset focuses on receiver locations, not the animal detection events, requiring joins with other datasets for movement analysis.
• Active/inactive status is based on a fixed 24-month recovery rule, which may not reflect actual receiver condition or data viability.

Provenance

Source

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

Collection Method

Acoustic receivers are strategically deployed on the sea floor, with data downloaded as required and locations curated into a database.

Time Range

Includes existing and historical deployments; individual deployments last 1 to 10 years.

Freshness

Last updated March 2026, indicating regular maintenance.

Geography

Waters around Australia, including coastal and continental shelf ecosystems.