Researchers are using GPS devices to track the earth’s most endangered animal species, the marine turtle. Three out of its the seven existing types are classified as critically endangered, and the other four are listed as endangered.

The devices, weighing less than a quarter of a pound, have been attached to the backs of baby flatback turtles. Scientists at the James Cook University in Australia hope to find out where the turtles travel while young, where they live and how they navigate currents in the ocean.

The goal is to identify threats that affect them, everything from destruction of their preferred habitat to predators and fishing tackle.

100 Million Years Old

The species is one of oldest on the planet, going back for 100 million years. It is only in the last 200 years that they have been under threat due to human interacting with the environment.

The turtles are an essential part of the marine and coastal ecosystems. The males never leave the water and female come on land just to lay eggs. They mature slowly and can easily live to be 80 years old. Read the rest of this entry »

Whether you have a fleet of five business vehicles making daily calls or 50, dispatchers have a lot of responsibility on their hands from day to day. GPS fleet tracking can help take many burdens off the shoulders of your dispatchers while, simultaneously improving profits for your business. These are just a few ways GPS fleet tracking can make your dispatcher’s life much easier.

Streamlines the Dispatch Process with Daily Itineraries

Letting your drivers know their route and itineraries from the very start helps to eliminate the fits and starts involved in the next call throughout the day. More importantly, with GPS fleet management and tracking systems, emergency calls and route adjustments are a simple matter to make on the fly.

Since dispatchers have access to the drivers via two way radio and the GPS system itself offers simple turn by turn directions for any route deviations there’s no reason drivers have to be married to the original itineraries when adjustments are needed. Read the rest of this entry »

University of Queensland (UQ) scientists are now placing GPS tracking devices on goannas in an attempt to find ways to get them to stop stealing and eating loggerhead turtle eggs.

A two-year new research project being led by UQ has been put in place to get a better understanding about the Wreck Rock Beach goannas’ responsibility in the predatory behavior of turtle nest egg stealing.

The UQ School of Biological Sciences team leader, Dr. David Booth, says these GPS tracking devices are helping to study goanna behavior and allowing the team to test devices and deterrents such as red flags, plastic mesh and pepper.

In fact, he goes on to say, “GPS tracking indicates that yellow spotted goannas are the main culprit”.

With some observation, it looks as though the first to attack a nest is the large yellow spotted goannas — since they have the persistence and the strength to really get deep down into the sand. After they have dug a tunnel leading to the eggs, the other smaller predators like the lace monitors and small yellow spotted goannas give it a go. Read the rest of this entry »

For the second time in recent weeks a Tampa city worker was caught where he wasn’t supposed to be on city time during work hours.

Specifically, Lawrence Woodfin was caught spending hours at his home, despite being on the clock with the city. The city will determine whether he can keep his job or will be subject to other disciplinary action.

The GPS fleet tracking device that caught the employee’s misdeeds attaches to vehicles magnetically and notifies local governments whenever employees move the vehicle.The device then sends out a report indicating that it is in motion and where the vehicle is going.

Mark Williams, a Tampa Public Works employee, was fired recently after GPS tracking revealed that he had made 36 personal stops in five days using city trucks and on the city’s clock.

Where did he go? Locations included several different restaurants, Ikea, and even the Florida Lottery Office. Read the rest of this entry »

Geotagging at safaris, sadly, puts endangered animals at risk.

Technology has come full circle, and unfortunately it is putting animals at risk. While advanced technology, like GPS tracking, can be great for protecting endangered animals and finding out more about their behaviors and habits, the same technology can also put them in danger.

The main culprit of this is geotagging, which provides the user with geographical location based on some type of media, such as a photograph, video, or QR codes. Geotagging is often used to help find images for a certain location by entering the latitude and longitude coordinates into a search engine.

It can also be used the other way, by taking a photo or video and being able to get the approximate coordinates for that image. If you find a picture of an event or a beautiful flower, you can utilize Geotagging to know where it took place. This is unfortunately how poachers are able to track down endangered animals when someone else takes a picture of them. Read the rest of this entry »