Project description
Marine ecosystem monitoring via first-ever acoustic and motion tagging of grey seals
Pinnipeds are 34 species of seals, sea lions and the walrus. The abundance, behaviours and health of these carnivorous predators at the apex of the marine food web are indicators of marine ecosystem health. However, monitoring them has been a challenge. With the support of the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, the FEAST project will pioneer the use of digital acoustic recording tags (DTAGs) on pinnipeds, with grey seals as a model species. DTAGs have a sensor array that samples response to sound and 3D orientation/movement down to individual swimming strokes. It will enable quantification of pinnipeds’ foraging decisions and energetics relative to prey distribution, environmental features and human activities.
Objective
Pinnipeds play a top predators key role in top-down processes and are considered bio-indicators of the health of marine ecosystem. Therefore, quantifying their foraging activity and energy expenditure in relation to rapidly changing marine environments is crucial for assessing these roles. However, gathering concurrent information on the movements, prey acquisition and environment of these cryptic species is a real challenge. In FEAST, I will, for the first time, combine the use of acceleration and acoustic data to quantify the links between pinnipeds foraging decisions and energetics with 3-D prey distribution, environmental features and anthropogenic activities using grey seals as model species. FEAST will (I) validate the use of acoustic and movement recording tags (D-Tags) on grey seals to detect feeding events, (II) quantify grey seals’ fine scale foraging activity and energy budgets to investigate how they optimize resource acquisition, (III) assess the influence of the abiotic & biotic environments as well as anthropogenic activities on their foraging activity, (IV) estimate prey type and field densities using active acoustic D-Tags as onboard echosounders. Thus, I will use, for the first time on pinnipeds, DTAGs which are central to the Host lab at Aarhus University and are the most advanced tagging technology in the field of marine mammal research. The originality and innovative aspects of FEAST lies at the intersection of bioacoustics, cutting edge engineering tools, signal processing, ecology and physiology to determine foraging optimization in free-ranging, wild marine animals. In accomplishing FEAST objectives, I will provide an unprecedented understanding of the sensory ecology of a large marine predator in habitats facing increased human encroachment, which will also be directly relevant to the European Commission’s Marine Strategy Framework Directive by assessing animal responses to human impacts.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- engineering and technology electrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineering electronic engineering signal processing
- natural sciences biological sciences zoology mammalogy cetology
- natural sciences biological sciences ecology
- medical and health sciences basic medicine physiology
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Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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H2020-EU.1.3. - EXCELLENT SCIENCE - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions
MAIN PROGRAMME
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H2020-EU.1.3.2. - Nurturing excellence by means of cross-border and cross-sector mobility
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Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
MSCA-IF-EF-ST - Standard EF
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Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) H2020-MSCA-IF-2017
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
8000 Aarhus C
Denmark
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.