Rapid prototyping and 3D printing of antarctic seal flipper tags
ABSTRACT Recent miniaturization of biologging devices has enabled widespread efforts to document the vertical and horizontal movements of pinnipeds; however, the attachment methods have been slower to evolve. We used rapid prototyping to develop a novel, adaptable flipper tag that could be used to d...
| Published in: | Wildlife Society Bulletin |
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| Main Authors: | , , , |
| Other Authors: | |
| Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Wiley
2019
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/wsb.964 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/wsb.964 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full-xml/10.1002/wsb.964 https://wildlife.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/am-pdf/10.1002/wsb.964 |
| Summary: | ABSTRACT Recent miniaturization of biologging devices has enabled widespread efforts to document the vertical and horizontal movements of pinnipeds; however, the attachment methods have been slower to evolve. We used rapid prototyping to develop a novel, adaptable flipper tag that could be used to deploy a biologging tag on seals that would remain attached through the annual molt cycle. The prototype flipper tag was designed using three‐dimensional (3D) modeling software and produced using 3D printing. Two tags were deployed on adult, female Weddell seals ( Leptonychotes weddellii ) in McMurdo Sound, Antarctica, during the Austral Summer 2015. One animal did not return to the study area. The other tag was successfully recovered after 341 days. Upon tag removal, the flipper holes were well‐healed with no evidence of pressure necrosis or irritation. This tag will provide opportunities to gain insight about animal behaviors during the annual molt, when annual hair loss precludes instrument attachment by glue. The rapid expansion of 3D printing design, material, and manufacturing tools has enabled the development of new tools for wildlife studies. © 2019 The Wildlife Society. |
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