Research Paper
Combining temperature-depth recorder and GPS data improves identification of foraging habitat in diving seabirds
A new study co-authored by Dr Elizabeth Masden of the Environmental Research Institute (ERI) has demonstrated how combining temperature-depth recorder (TDR) and GPS tracking data can significantly improve the identification of foraging habitats in diving seabirds.
Published in Marine Biology, the paper “Combining temperature-depth recorder and GPS data improves identification of foraging habitat in diving seabirds” was led by former ERI PhD researcher Daniel T. Johnston, alongside Dr Masden, Dr Katherine Booth Jones, and Dr Elizabeth Humphreys.
Understanding where and how seabirds forage is essential for the effective design and management of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs). While GPS tracking provides precise locations of birds at sea, it cannot capture movements beneath the surface. TDRs, on the other hand, record dive depth and duration but lack spatial context. This research bridges that gap by combining both technologies, offering a more complete picture of seabird behaviour.
The study focused on Black Guillemots (Cepphus grylle) breeding on Lighthouse Island, Northern Ireland, and assessed four methods for linking GPS and dive data to identify feeding areas. The findings showed that models incorporating both spatial and dive information provided a more biologically realistic understanding of how and where these seabirds forage.
Results revealed that Black Guillemots mainly fed on the seabed at average depths of around 13 metres, with foraging activity strongly influenced by factors such as time of day, seabed depth, and distance from the colony.
By integrating dive data with spatial tracking, the study provides an improved framework for assessing seabird habitat use, a vital step toward ensuring that MPAs protect the areas most important for feeding and survival.
Dr Masden’s contribution built on her expertise in seabird ecology and the environmental impacts of marine change. The research underlines ERI’s ongoing commitment to advancing understanding of marine ecosystems and supporting evidence-based conservation across the North Atlantic region.
The full paper is available in Marine Biology, Volume 172, Article 172 (2025).
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