Oxford Researchers have developed ‘SnapperGPS’, a low-cost, low-power wildlife tracking system that can run for more than 10 years for less than $30. Location tracking devices are an important tool for biologists to study animal behaviour, informing conservation policy decisions and preventing human-wildlife conflicts. However, existing technologies are often expensive and come with heavy batteries, prohibiting studies with many animals. By employing the concept of snapshot GNSS, the SnapperGPS is able to reduce the signal acquisition and processing on the device and locate the receiver with a few milliseconds of the signal. This year, 9 out of 20 tags deployed on endangered loggerhead sea turtles in Cape Verde were recovered, capturing unexpectedly diverse behaviour among turtles.
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