Lectures by senior environmental assessment specialists at SLU 2022

Efficient e-infrastructure key in biologging and big data analyses of wild animals

Lecturer: Holger Dettki, Researcher at the SLU Swedish Species Information Centre.

Moderator: Pernilla Christensen, Environmental monitoring and assessment specialist at the Department of Forest Resource Management.

Summary

Remote monitoring of animals with sensors and telemetry – usually called biologging – is about putting different types of sensors on animals to study their behavior or physiology from a distance. The area has developed rapidly as sensors have been able to shrink in size and weight, become significantly cheaper and data transfer technology has improved. This means that the amounts of data generated increase exponentially, which places demands on data management and at the same time provides opportunities for large-scale data analysis of so called big data.

A prerequisite for using this data is that it is accessible and usable. However, local database management and integration of these diversified datasets can prove challenging and hamper the effectiveness of environmental analyses. Efficient and standardized data management and sharing of biologging data is therefore a strict requirement. There is an urgent need for agreements on data standards, new solutions and communication between existing international data management and data sharing systems.

Biologging data also provides a major basis for biodiversity research. Therefore, the link between biologging infrastructures and international biodiversity infrastructures such as Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) is also needed.

In the lecture Holger Dettki will outline requirements, problems, potential pitfalls and possible solutions for a successful e-infrastructure for biologging for the next decade in animal ecology, based on the e-infrastructure Wireless Remote Animal Monitoring (WRAM) at SLU. He will describe how this infrastructure connects its data with the Swedish Biodiversity Data Infrastructure (SBDI), where SLU is an important partner.

DNA as a tool for sustainable management and conservation of fish populations

Lecturer: Stefan Palm, Researcher at the Department of Aquatic Resources, SLU.

Moderator: Anna Gårdmark, Professor at the Department of Aquatic Resources, SLU.

Introduction

Population genetic analyses of fish and shellfish are becoming an increasingly established method within SLU's Environmental monitoring and assessment, with great future potential. DNA variation can, for example, show how species are divided into genetically distinct populations, which constitutes important basic knowledge for conservation and sustainable resource management. It is also possible to study how human activities, such as fish releases, affect intraspecific genetic variation.

Stefan Palm, senior environmental analysis specialist at SLU, begins with a short subject introduction, followed by some examples from his work with genetic analyses linked to environmental and aquatic resource monitoring. The presentation ends with a look into the future.

How many fish are in the sea? Stock analysis of coastal fish for sustainable management

Lecturer: Stefan Larsson, Environmental Assessment Specialist at the Department of Aquatic Resources, SLU.

Moderator: Anna Gårdmark, Professor at the Department of Aquatic Resources, SLU.

Introduction

To investigate the status of coastal fish stocks, SLU collects data via annual test fishing, from commercial and recreational fishing and from various research projects. Collected data is analysed to increase our knowledge on the role of fish in the ecosystem and on how humans and the environment affect coastal fish stocks. This knowledge forms the basis for SLU’s advice to authorities on how fish stocks can be sustainably used and managed.

Stefan Larsson, senior environmental analysis specialist at SLU, will in his lecture give both forward and backward views on the status of coastal fish. This, among other things, through examples from the challenging task of pike monitoring.