Université du Québec à Rimouski
M.Sc. candidate
Supervisor: Dominique Berteaux
Martin-Hugues St-Laurent
Start: 2012-05-01
End: 2014-06-01

Project

Optimization of the use of satellite data gathered on arctic foxes in a polar environment
Numerous methods of telemetry exist in order to study the movements of animals. Among them, Argos satellite telemetry has the benefit of allowing the scientists to follow the animals in real time, without having to retrieve the transmitter. However, when compared to GPS technology, Argos localizations are less accurate and can have errors up to a few kilometers. While this is not a concern when working on a large spatial scale, it might become problematic while working on a finer scale. My project aims to evaluate the error associated with Argos data in a polar environment and to evaluate how to improve data quality with the use of computer filters. For this, empirical static and mobile tests have been conducted on Bylot Island, Nunavut, where Argos transmitters have been coupled with GPS receivers as a reference. Different filters will be applied to the data to see how the data can be used to answer some biological question as home range evaluations.