News & Views
Welcome to Issue No. 4 of the International Bio-Logging Society Newsletter.
Once again our newsletter is full of bio-logging news, stories, science and opportunities across the globe. Many thanks everyone for contributing!!
In this Issue:
Dear Members of the International Bio-Logging Society,Just a little more than a year has passed since BLS8 and the beginning of our term as President, Vice-President and Executive Committee of the Society. With this brief message, we would like to first and foremost thank the many who have enthusiastically supported the IBioLS activities and have helped us to pursue the Society’s goals!A year ago, we stated our vision to promote bio-logging science within and beyond the Society. We would like to revisit our message and report what we have been working on over the past year, and what our immediate future priorities are.
Within the Society
The Executive Committee has intensively worked to set tools and strategies to support engagement and open communication. We have extended the Ex-Co to a team of amazing supporting members, that you will soon meet also on our website, with inclusiveness, and geographic and taxonomic diversity in mind. Thank you for accepting the challenge!
We have set up an internal reporting system that allows us to register all activities for the record of this and future Ex-Cos. We have launched a brand new version of the Newsletter – that you are reading right now 😊- involving early-stage bio-loggers and offering news and views to our members, having service and engagement in mind.
We have engaged further with the Working Groups and Initiatives, who now have personal pages and resources on our website (https://bio-logging.net/wg/), and within our system.In the near future …We are launching a Webinar Series that will rely also on the Working groups and Initiatives support and on new partnerships – stay tuned!
We will soon re-engage with social media, specifically targeting LinkedIN and BlueSky.Soon, we will launch a Survey addressed to all members, to better understand our community and promote even further activities helpful and interesting for our members!
Please take the Survey – as it will be the best way for us to try and do better!Next, we will consider whether to streamline some aspects of the Constitution – also in consultation with past members of the Ex-Co; and start liaising with the organisers of BLS9.
Beyond the Society
The Executive Committee members and the Working groups and Initiatives have participated in many meetings, always taking the point of view of the Society – especially offering our support to current and upcoming initiatives bridging bio-logging science and conservation/policy.
These meetings are always reported in the Newsletter. Please do not hesitate to indicate other events where you may participate and where the IBioLS may play a relevant role!We are grateful to be part of this challenging but inspiring adventure…together with you! Please keep seeing yourself as protagonists of the Society. Do not hesitate to reach out to offer your help, point at initiatives, and let us know how we can do better!
Warm regards,
Francesca Cagnacci, President;
Mary-Anne Lea, Vice-President;
Ex-Co 2024–2027
Updates from our Working Groups
Webpages on our Working Groups are ready!
Since our last newsletter we have been working on new webpages for our Working Groups and Initiatives on our website. Working groups and Initiatives are collaborative teams of society members focused on advancing specific areas of bio-logging. With this, we aim at creating a space for global collaboration. See our different working groups and how to join!
COVID-19 Bio-Logging Initiative
The International Bio-logging Society at the Move Biodiversity Observation Network (BON) Workshop
The MoveBON Workshop (19-21 March 2025) brought together global experts to explore how animal movement data can inform biodiversity policy and conservation efforts. Hosted by the Smithsonian and partners, the event focused on integrating movement data into decision-making frameworks and laying the groundwork for a new Biodiversity Observation Network. Key actions include developing Movement Indicators, streamlining the data pipeline, and operationalising the movement-to-policy linkage with focus on both global and in-country needs. The International Bio-Logging Society was well represented, for example the Data Standards Working Group will strongly support the Data Pipeline development.
Bio-Logging Bulletin from our Correspondents
In January 2025, Lindsay attended the 2025 Waterbird Society and Pacific Seabird Group joint conference in San Jose, Costa Rica – a vibrant gathering that showcased a wide range of research topics and innovative methodologies. “The conference fostered a supportive and collaborative atmosphere, particularly for student researchers.” -Lindsay says
A highlight for me was the final day’s “Movement and Behaviour” session, which delved into themes like non-breeding movement and habitat use, urban dynamics and conservation challenges, and the influence of seasonal weather patterns and extreme events on waterbird and seabird behaviour. I left the conference feeling inspired, with a deeper appreciation for the diverse applications of bio-logging data in understanding and protecting birds.
Tales from the Wild: Bio-Loggers in Action
I am Zarah Schwan, a PhD student from Germany currently living and studying in Botswana. My research focuses on the effects of seasonal changes on various herbivore species in the Kavango-Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area.
I have had a passion for wildlife and animal behavior since a young age.
How do you study antelopes in the Zambezi region? Picture this: helicopters, island surgeries, and tracking heart rates from thousands of miles away. For our study we equipped 40 antelopes of 4 different species in the Zambezi region of Namibia. Not only using GPS data to get a better understanding of the movement behaviour of our animals, but also using biologgers to track heart rate, temperature, and accelerometer data we get insight data of their physiological state and their movement 24/7. We will retrieve the equipment in April 2025 and can tell more about the changes in behaviour of our study animals after that. So far we experienced two deaths without signs of predation in our study animals and the data of the biologgers showed a connection between heart rate and the outside temperature, especially right before the death. Promising exciting results!
Events & Opportunities
- 36th European Cetacean Society Conference, May 14-16 2025, Ponta Delgada, Azores, Portugal.
- Wolves Across Borders, June 2-6 2025, Luntheren, the Netherlands.
- 20th Anniversary Conference of the Oceania Chondrichthyan Society, June 16-19 2025, Sunshine Coast, QLD, Australia
- Movement Ecology of Animals – Gordon Research Conference. July 27 – August 1 2025, Across Scales, Ventura, California, USA.
Movement Ecology Across Scales: join us for a conference exploring the fascinating links between movement ecology, ecological frameworks, and conservation, addressing how movements across scales influence biodiversity, ecosystems, and species interactions. Sessions will cover cutting-edge topics, from movement adaptations in the Anthropocene to forecasting for conservation, alongside advancements in modeling, tools, and data sharing.
Submit your Abstract and Register soon! Availability is tight and, if you are an Early Stage Researcher, you can participate in the selection for Flash talks and Poster Award!
Special Issues
Deadline extension for the BLS8 – Special Issue in Animal Biotelemetry and Movement Ecology Submission deadline: 30th April 2025
Conservation Physiology special issue: “Insights and tools from biologging for conservation physiology”. Submission deadline: 30th November 2025
Publications
Since our last newsletter there have been 46 bio-logging papers published (based on a Web of Science search using the keywords “bio-telemetry” OR “biologging” OR “bio-logging” OR “biotelemetry” OR “animal-borne”).
These papers range from understanding the ecology of species to new tagging technology.
Here are some examples of the work going on in our community:
Job Opportunities
Are you hiring or have a job to share?
Write to us and we will post your job!
- Post-doctoral Research Fellow – Urban Exploration Project, University of St Andrews, UK (closing date: 09 May 2025).
The Urban Exploration Project is a collaborative initiative developed in close partnership with the National Geographic Society. This is an exciting opportunity for candidates interested in movement ecology, animal tracking, conservation and sustainability science, environmental planning, human–wildlife coexistence, project management, and/or consortium-style, big-data research.
- Communications Officer – Species Conservation Action, IUCN, Switzerland.
- Database and Operations Manager, BirdLife International, Cambridge, UK.
- 2 PhD positions – Echolocation in bats and toothed whales, Aarhus University, Denmark.
Useful websites:
EuraxessPacific Seabird Group Job Board (with links to other resources)
Pacific Seabird Group Job Board (with links to other resources)
Stay tuned for the next Newsletter of the IBioLS in 3 months!
We are thrilled to have you as part of our community.
If you have any inquiry or want to be part of the next Newsletter,
please do not hesitate to contact intl.biologging.society@gmail.com.
Don’t get lost, (bio)-log yourself in this diverse community!