Little Leonardo digital data logger: its past, present and future role in bio-logging science

Abstract: For over 10 years, Little Leonardo has been developing digital data loggers for use in diverse research on marine animals. In this paper, the authors give an overview of Little Leonardo digital data loggers, the difficulties of designing a digital data logger and the possibilities for future improvements. Current data loggers are adequate to monitor animals in the field but several improvements are needed and the performance of Little Leonardo log-gers will improve as future technologies are incorporated. key words: data logger, design of data logger The contribution of digital data loggers to bio-logging science Over the past two decades, it has become increasingly clear that data-logging devices deployed on animals could substantially advance biological studies that wish to investigate the behavior of free-ranging individuals in an ecosystem. This is especially true for marine vertebrates that cannot be tracked by researchers over a long period of time while at sea. In this regard, the usefulness of a data-logging approach has been exemplified by the work of several research teams, most of whom attended the International Symposium on Bio-logging