The Retrospective Analysis of Antarctic Tracking (Standardised) Data from the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research

The Retrospective Analysis of Antarctic Tracking Data (RAATD) was initiated in 2010 by the Expert Group on Birds and Marine Mammals (EG-BAMM) and the Expert Group on Antarctic Biodiversity Informatics (EGABI) of the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR). RAATD aims to advance our understanding of both fundamental and applied questions in a data-driven way, matching research priorities already identified by the SCAR Horizon Scanand key questions in animal movement ecology. For these reasons, we worked on the collation, validation and preparation of tracking data collected south of 45° S. Data from over 70 contributors were collated. This database includes information from 17 predator species, including 4,060 individuals and over 2.9 million at-sea locations. To exploit this unique dataset, RAATD undertook a multi-species assessment of habitat use for higher predators in the Southern Ocean (Hindell et al. in prep.).

Support and funding were provided by supranational committees and organisations including the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research Life Science Group and BirdLife International, as well as from various national institutions (see also author affiliations) and foundations, including but not limited to Argentina (Dirección Nacional del Antártico), Australia (Australian Antarctic program; Australian Research Council; Sea World Research and Rescue Foundation Inc., IMOS is a national collaborative research infrastructure, supported by the Australian Government and operated by a consortium of institutions as an unincorporated joint venture, with the University of Tasmania as Lead Agent), Belgium (Belgian Science Policy Office), Brazil (Brazilian Antarctic Programme; Brazilian National Research Council (CNPq/MCTI) and CAPES), France (Agence Nationale de la Recherche; Centre National d’Etudes Spatiales; Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique; CESAB-FRB as part of the activities of the RAATD Working Group; Fondation Total; Institut Paul-Emile Victor; Programme Zone Atelier de Recherches sur l’Environnement Antarctique et Subantarctique; Terres Australes et Antarctiques Françaises), Germany (Hanse-Wissenschaftskolleg - Institute for Advanced Study), Italy (Italian National Antarctic Research Program; Ministry for Education University and Research), Japan (Japanese Antarctic Research Expedition; JSPS Kakenhi grant; National Science Foundation), Monaco (Fondation Prince Albert II de Monaco), New Zealand (National Environmental Research Council, Norway (National Environmental Research Council; Norwegian Antarctic Research Expeditions; Norwegian Research Council), Portugal (Foundation for Science and Technology), South Africa (Department of Environmental Affairs; National Research Foundation; South African National Antarctic Programme), UK (Darwin Plus; Ecosystems Programme at the British Antarctic Survey; Natural Environment Research Council; WWF), and USA (U.S. AMLR Program of NOAA Fisheries; US Office of Polar Programs).