GPS Tracking

A phenomenal Amount of Data on Migrating Habits is being Gathered

Maritime Wildlife Tracking is Very Telling

We have heard of tracking wildlife in the wilderness and the interesting things being discovered there, but now, going submersible on the back of a great white shark is proving to be just as exciting.

In New Zealand, a great white shark named Grim, has been tagged with a GPS Tracking device that follows his every move.  The dorsal fin holds the device which provides the data updates every time the shark breaks the surface of the water.

What GPS Reveals

What researchers are watching is how far Grim roams and the locations to which he visits and even his feeding habits.

Surprising to those monitoring Grims’ adventures is the distances that he covers.  In just 11 days, he had traversed more than 1,100 kilometers through the ocean.

Other important data from other devices that are attached to similar marine wildlife in the program include depth, temperature, and even light levels which are useful for long distance mapping of the ocean floor.

Much like mapping that is done on dry ground; GPS Tracking of the ocean floor is helping maritime scientists study locations of sea-going creatures and underwater plant life.

Curiosity Persists

It all goes back to assisting in our understanding of how things work in our world.  And GPS Tracking is one of the best methods of satisfying our curiosities.

Some of the goals that are met with these kinds of programs include: (more…)

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Maritime Uses of GPS is Increasing

Installing a Dedicated GPS Device Did the Trick

Source acquired via NBC, June 15, 2010, Punta Gorda, Florida – Stealing boats and bringing them to Cuba is a popular pastime for thieves in Miami. This trend has started to move towards Southwest Florida, as one Punta Gorda family recently learned.

Expensive Yacht Discovered

While on vacation, one Punta Gorda Isles family’s 50 foot yacht was stolen. After learning that their yacht had been taken to Cuba, the family was able to track the location of the yacht using a recently installed GPS tracker. The yacht in question is worth half a million dollars, and recovering it may take some time. Even with the GPS tracker that was installed on the yacht, authorities must cross international waters in order to retrieve the yacht. In short, the family affected by this theft will have to wait until Cuban authorities can locate the thieves.

A neighbour of the Punta Gorda family told press that the family “…lived on that boat more than the house…” Once the boat had been identified by the United States Coast Guard, Cuban authorities were notified. The family was told that the boat had been “…intercepted by the Cuban border guard…” (as one Punta Gorda police officer told press), yet the boat has not been returned to its rightful owners. Neighbours who have been in touch with the Punta Gorda family told press that they have not heard from either Cuban or U.S. officials. (more…)