# COMPLEMENTING AND VALIDATING THE BIOLOGGING DATA USED TO INDICATE TROPHIC AND DIVERSITY HOTSPOTS IN THE SOUTHERN OCEAN

> **NSF 0100CYXXDB NSF RESEARCH & RELATED ACTIVIT** · H.T. Harvey & Associates (CA) · $332,658

## Abstract

Indicator species are often used to reveal trends and trophic “hotspots” for fishery and marine food web monitoring and can be particularly useful in the remote Southern Ocean due to the cost and accessibility of ship-based marine research. Biologging, the use of micro-electronic animal borne devices, is increasingly being applied to detect areas of species abundance and diversity and can be important for management efforts. An essential component to effective utilization of biologging is ground-truthing of the patterns, to establish the robustness of the data and the conclusions being drawn from it. This project aims to use at sea survey data and biologging data collected on marine mammals and sea birds in the Ross Sea to validate and refine how biologging information can predict indicator species distributions and identify areas of importance for biodiversity. 

Antarctic marine conservation strategies have focused on the identification and protection of bird/animal breeding colonies through national and international initiatives. However, foraging areas are also important, and ecosystem-based management involves establishing protected ocean areas where fishing is either excluded or tightly controlled. Seabird and marine mammal prevalence and distribution are often used as ecological indicators reflecting stability, change and spatial patterns in marine food webs. These patterns can signal “hotspots” of prey availability at scales from localized prey aggregations to broad

## Key facts

- **NSF award ID:** 2524962
- **Awardee organization:** H.T. Harvey & Associates (CA)
- **SAM.gov UEI:** SAKNNJYN1H88
- **PI:** David G Ainley
- **Primary program:** 0100CYXXDB NSF RESEARCH & RELATED ACTIVIT
- **All programs:** —
- **Estimated total:** $332,658
- **Funds obligated:** $332,658
- **Transaction type:** Standard Grant
- **Period:** 09/01/2025 → 08/31/2026

## Primary source

NSF Award Search: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2524962

## Citation

> US National Science Foundation, Award 2524962, COMPLEMENTING AND VALIDATING THE BIOLOGGING DATA USED TO INDICATE TROPHIC AND DIVERSITY HOTSPOTS IN THE SOUTHERN OCEAN. Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-06-08 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nsf/2524962. Licensed CC0.

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