Does detection range matter for inferring social networks in a benthic shark using acoustic telemetry?

Area of Science:

• Marine ecology
• Animal behavior
• Biotelemetry

Background:

• Estimating animal contacts is vital for ecological studies, including social structure and disease transmission.
• Biotelemetry is established for terrestrial studies but developing for aquatic environments.
• Acoustic telemetry is a promising tool for marine fish behavior and interaction monitoring.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of acoustic telemetry in recording interindividual contacts.
• To compare co-occurrence matrices from different acoustic receiver types.
• To assess the impact of receiver detection range on social network analysis in marine species.

Main Methods:

• Comparison of co-occurrence matrices from three acoustic receiver types with varying detection ranges.
• Analysis of individual centrality within social networks.
• Study conducted on a benthic shark species.

Main Results:

• Acoustic receivers with large detection ranges (Vemco VR2W) produced significantly different association matrices compared to smaller-range receivers (Sonotronics miniSUR, proximity loggers).
• Individual network positions (centrality) also differed based on receiver type.
• Large-range receivers may misrepresent true social networks for benthic marine animals.

Conclusions:

• The detection range of acoustic receivers significantly influences the accuracy of social network and interaction data in marine benthic species.
• Researchers should carefully evaluate receiver detection range effects before applying acoustic telemetry to social or predator-prey studies.
• Combining receiver types or developing advanced proximity loggers can improve interaction study precision.