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| Wildlife Computers | |
|---|---|
| Name | Wildlife Computers |
| Type | Private |
| Industry | Animal telemetry, Marine biology, Electronics |
| Founded | 1997 |
| Headquarters | Redmond, Washington, United States |
| Key people | Rob Manov, John R. McLemore |
| Products | Satellite tags, Archival tags, Acoustic tags, Temperature-depth recorders |
Wildlife Computers
Wildlife Computers is a company specializing in biologging devices and telemetry hardware for marine and terrestrial animal research. Founded in the late 1990s and headquartered in Redmond, Washington, the firm designs archival tags, satellite-linked transmitters, and data-loggers used by institutions studying cetaceans, pinnipeds, sea turtles, sharks, seabirds, and fish. Its technologies have been integrated into projects led by universities, government agencies, and non-governmental organizations across the globe.
Wildlife Computers was established in 1997 during a period of rapid development in animal-borne telemetry, expanding alongside institutions such as Scripps Institution of Oceanography, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, University of British Columbia, and University of California, Santa Cruz. Early work involved collaboration with researchers from NOAA Fisheries and United States Geological Survey to miniaturize archival tag electronics for marine vertebrates. Over time the company participated in multi-institutional programs like the Tagging of Pacific Pelagics initiatives and supported international expeditions funded by agencies including the National Science Foundation and the European Commission. Leadership changes and innovation cycles paralleled advances by organizations such as Vemco, Mote Marine Laboratory, and British Antarctic Survey, positioning the company amid a network of academic and conservation partners.
The product line comprises satellite transmitters compatible with the Argos system, archival data-loggers capable of recording temperature, depth, and light, and acoustic transmitters for use with receiver arrays like those maintained by Oregon State University and University of Miami. Devices incorporate sensors from manufacturers supplying to projects such as Global Ocean Observing System deployments and are designed to fit deployment methods used in studies at institutions like Dalhousie University and University of Alaska Fairbanks. Tag models follow engineering trends established by firms including Wildlife Acoustics and Lotek Wireless, integrating low-power microcontrollers, flash memory, pressure transducers, and GPS modules sourced from suppliers serving programs like Tagging of Pacific Predators and Global Shark Movement Project collaborators.
Wildlife Computers’ tags have been used in research fields tied to organizations such as The Ocean Cleanup, Wildlife Conservation Society, Smithsonian Institution, California Academy of Sciences, and Zoological Society of London. Studies employing the company’s hardware address migration mapping for Leatherback sea turtle expeditions, foraging ecology of salmon populations studied by Alaska Fisheries Science Center, and diving physiology in elephant seals researched at Stanford University and University of California, Santa Barbara. The devices support multidisciplinary projects with partners like BirdLife International, International Union for Conservation of Nature, Australian Antarctic Division, and Fisheries and Oceans Canada, enabling research on climate-driven habitat shifts, bycatch mitigation assessed by Pew Charitable Trusts, and ecosystem connectivity evaluated by The Nature Conservancy.
Data workflows link tag downloads to software platforms used by teams at University of Exeter, University of St Andrews, and Plymouth Marine Laboratory. Analysts often combine outputs with datasets from Copernicus Programme products, Argo floats, and bathymetry from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration databases. Wildlife Computers provides utilities for decoding binary archives and converting light-based geolocation to maps compatible with GIS packages used at Imperial College London and King Abdullah University of Science and Technology. Integration with community tools developed by initiatives like Movebank and visualization suites employed by NASA and European Space Agency facilitates synthesis of movement, environmental, and physiological data.
Manufacturing processes reflect industry standards observed at firms such as Honeywell and TE Connectivity for soldering, conformal coating, and pressure testing. Quality assurance routines include pressure-depth calibration against facilities at Scripps Institution of Oceanography and thermal cycling informed by protocols from National Institute of Standards and Technology. Supply chains link to component vendors serving projects at CERN and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory for precision electronics, while final assembly accommodates bespoke housings adapted for species-specific attachment methods refined in cooperation with field teams from Monterey Bay Aquarium and New England Aquarium.
Customers range from academic labs at University of Washington, Duke University, University of British Columbia to government research centers including NOAA, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, and Ministry for Primary Industries (New Zealand). Conservation NGOs such as World Wildlife Fund, Conservation International, and BirdLife International have procured devices for population monitoring. Collaborative projects have included work with industrial partners and consortiums like Ocean Tracking Network, Global Drifter Program, and regional fisheries management bodies, enabling deployments across the Pacific Ocean, Atlantic Ocean, and Southern Ocean.
Regulatory compliance intersects with permits issued by agencies such as United States Fish and Wildlife Service, Environment and Climate Change Canada, and regional authorities in Australia and New Zealand. Ethical review processes involve institutional animal care and use committees at organizations like Cambridge University and University of Sydney and align with guidelines from bodies including International Union for Conservation of Nature and professional societies such as the Society for Conservation Biology. Data-sharing agreements and privacy considerations are negotiated with partners including Global Biodiversity Information Facility and national archives to balance research utility and species protection.
Category:Telemetry companies