Animal movement is a ubiquitous process and can have consequences ranging from an individual’s energy expenditure to ecosystem dynamics. This study uses biologgers, primarily accelerometers, to record and examine the at-sea behaviours of black-legged kittiwakes (Rissa tridactyla) during their breeding period. Accelerometers record the acceleration of an instrumented animal to give an indication of their behaviour and movements, yet their output can be particularly difficult to interpret. As such, this thesis begins with a method developed for the assignation of coarse-scale behaviours to accelerometry data. The method is a simple yet objective approach intended to be widely applicable. Using this method, we construct time-activity budgets for incubating and chick-rearing kittiwakes and apply activity-specific estimates of energy expenditure to these behaviours. We identify how kittiwakes allocate their time and what the energetic consequences of variation in time-allocation are. We present empirical evidence for chick-rearing kittiwakes expending more energy than incubating birds and identify that kittiwakes exhibit behavioural compensation whereby they limit energy expenditure across both foraging trips and days. We also examine the flight behaviour of kittiwakes in relation to extrinsic conditions. We find that wind conditions do not seem to influence broader scale patterns in movements during foraging trips, however kittiwakes do display behavioural plasticity in response to wind conditions by optimising their flight speeds towards maximum range speeds. We also identify that to optimise flight speeds, kittiwakes change the strength at which they flap their wings, rather than the frequency. Finally we present a serendipitous observation of predation of kittiwake chicks by a peregrine falcon. Although not directly related to movement ecology, this study documents novel predatory behaviour and highlights the importance of biological forces other than movement. Overall, the work presented in this thesis demonstrates that by examining the movement of individuals, it is possible to gain insights into various important aspects of their biology.

Understanding what factors influence wildlife movement allows landscape planners to make informed decisions that benefit both animals and humans. New quantitative methods, such as step-selection functions, provide valuable objective analyses of wildlife connectivity. This paper provides a framework for creating a step-selection function and demonstrates its use in a case study. The first section provides a general introduction about wildlife connectivity research. The second section explains the math behind the step-selection function using a simple example. The last section gives the results of a step-selection model for African buffalo in the Kavango Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area. Buffalo were found to avoid fences, rivers, and anthropogenic land use; however, there was great variation in individual buffalo's preferences.

In 1938 Dr. Eugene Gudger concluded of the Red Sea that "whale sharks must surely abound in this region." Seventy years later, multi-method research began on a whale shark (Rhincodon typus) aggregation at Shib Habil, a reef near Al Lith, Saudi Arabia. However, in 2017 and 2018, a dramatic decline in encounters at this site drew questions about the aggregation's future and overall whale shark population trends in the region. In this dissertation, I describe and discuss the two-year decline in encounters and show that neither remotely sensed sea surface temperature nor chlorophyll-a concentrations were significantly different in seasons with or without sharks. Citizen science-based photo identification was used to characterize the northern Red Sea population, the Red Sea population as a whole, show limited crossover within the basin, and connections with another aggregation in Djibouti. Scarring rates within the Red Sea are compared to recent global studies, and the Red Sea uniquely had no predator bites observed, suggesting boat collisions are likely the leading cause of major scars. Finally, building upon previous genetic work comparing Red Sea and Tanzanian sharks using microsatellites, the mitochondrial control region was sequenced, and two global haplotype networks were produced and compared to each other and previous work. The stability of genetic diversity within the Shib Habil aggregation is compared to declines previously measured in Australia. As tourism develops along the northern Saudi Arabian coast and citizen science increases in the Red Sea, population dynamics within the region could be better understood. The genetic connectivity of Red Sea whale sharks to the Indo-Pacific population exemplifies the need for continued collaborative research beyond local aggregations and multinational conservation measures.

Reef manta (Mobula alfredi) populations along the east African coast are poorly studied and likely in decline. Identifying critical habitats for this species is essential for future research and conservation efforts. Dungonab Bay, a marine protected area and UNESCO World Heritage Site in Sudan, hosts the largest known reef manta aggregation in the Red Sea. Here we present approximately two years of passive acoustic telemetry monitoring data collected from 19 individuals and 15 strategically placed receivers. This data is used to quantify long-term residency and seasonal shifts in habitat use in Dungonab Bay. Additionally, acoustic telemetry combined with satellite telemetry was used to simultaneously track three mantas. On average, individual M. alfredi were detected within the array on 39% of monitored days. Detections were recorded throughout the year, though some individuals were occasionally absent from the receiver array for weeks at a time and generalized additive mixed models showed a clear seasonal pattern in detection probability. The highest probabilities occurred in boreal fall (~76% chance of detection) while the lowest occurred in boreal winter (~22%). Modeled biological factors, including sex and wingspan, had no influence on animal presence. Modeled environmental factors such as fraction of moon illuminated, sea surface temperature, and chlorophyll-a concentration were positively correlated with presence. Despite the high residency suggested by acoustic telemetry, satellite telemetry recorded one tagged individual moving at least 84 kilometers to the south towards Port Sudan. Although our satellite and acoustic telemetry data indicate excursions away from Dungonab, these individuals always returned and showed a strong degree of site fidelity. This study adds to growing evidence that M. alfredi are highly resident and site-dependent but display seasonal shifts in habitat selection that are likely driven by resource availability and the oceanographic features within their home range.

The advent of GPS tracking technology has revolutionized the field of wildlife research. The ability to obtain fine-scale location data from collared animals allows for increased understanding of life-history events that have previously been difficult to research. An excellent candidate species for telemetry-based research is mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus). Mule deer are an important species economically due to their position as a harvested species. Additionally, they play an important role in the ecosystems they occupy; therefore information regarding important life history events would improve conservation and management efforts for this species. Our objectives were to use GPS tracking technology to explore two important life-history events in mule deer, parturition and natal dispersal. We developed and tested movement-based methods for detecting parturition in mule deer (Chapter One) and we used movement patterns to quantify the influence of various factors on dispersal of mule deer (Chapter Two). For Chapter One, we hypothesized that patterns of maternal movement could be used to predict the status and timing of parturition of mule deer. In order to test this hypothesis, we captured, collared, and confirmed parturition for 90 female deer in the state of Utah. We used the known dates of parturition to test the accuracy and precision of six different movement--based methods to identify parturition. We found that methods differed in both accuracy and precision, with the highest performing method displaying 98% accuracy and 93% precision (within seven days). For Chapter Two, we hypothesized that several factors (e.g. inbreeding avoidance, competition for mates, competition for resources, and migratory learning) would influence dispersal of mule deer. In order to evaluate the relative importance of these factors, we captured, collared, and tracked 303 six-month old mule deer fawns over the course of five years. We found evidence that inbreeding avoidance and migratory learning both influenced dispersal behavior of mule deer, while we found no evidence that competition for mates or resources influenced dispersal in this species.

In the Saudi Arabian Red Sea, two of the seven species of sea turtles are known to nest and forage along the coast, the hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata) and the green turtle (Chelonia mydas). As a result of some life history characteristics, sea turtles are particularly vulnerable to anthropogenic impacts. Under Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 and the recent opening of its borders to recreational tourists, the country aims to develop several large-scale projects along the Red Sea coast, locally known as “giga-projects”. Thus, imminent pressures from coastal development highlight the urgency needed for multi-country cooperation in protecting sea turtles in the region. This dissertation aims to establish some baseline data and protocols for future work to meet the data needs of the relevant conservation authorities in Saudi Arabia. In particular, this thesis contributes new and important information to some of the identified knowledge gaps for the Red Sea region, including sea turtle habitat use, threat assessment (plastic and heavy metal pollution), and evaluating hatching success. I used satellite telemetry to understand foraging home ranges of hawksbill and green turtles, post-nesting migrations, and inter-nesting habitat use of green turtles. Additionally, I used photo identification to understand the abundance and behavior of turtles at a Rabigh fringing reef, in the central Red Sea. I assessed two anthropogenic contaminants as a threat to Red Sea turtles: heavy metal contamination and plastic ingestion. Heavy metal concentrations in the sand were evaluated at the largest green turtle rookery in Saudi Arabia, Ras Baridi, which is located next to a cement factory. I also assessed the concentration of heavy metals in the tissues of dead hatchlings found at Ras Baridi. Additionally, I studied plastic ingestion in ten deceased turtles found along the Saudi Arabian Red Sea. In my last data chapter, I assessed the hatching success of green turtle nests, and investigated clutch relocation as a possible method of increasing success. The final chapter summarizes the results from this research in the context of the 2004 PERSGA Marine Turtle Conservation Plan, and provides possible conservation strategy recommendations to protect Red Sea turtles

The spatial and population dynamics of avian scavengers are poorly understood. This information is key for management and conservation interventions that guarantee long-term species conservation. My goal in this dissertation is to fill information gaps on the movement ecology of New World vultures using the Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura) as a model species. I used a continental-wide satellite telemetry dataset to study the migration ecology, space-use, and demography of the three North American breeding populations of Turkey Vultures wintering in the Neotropics during a 17-year period. I found that primary productivity, but not weather, triggered Turkey Vulture migratory behavior, migration initiated when primary productivity dropped at the end of the breeding and non-breeding season. Migratory connectivity was high at the species level (0.85, 95% CI: 0.74–0.94). However, I found evidence of intrapopulation segregation during the non-breeding season demonstrated by lower values of migratory connectivity in each population. I investigated how seasonality interacted with human disturbance, landscape composition and configuration to mediate patterns of geographic and environmental space-use, and annual and seasonal survival probabilities. Environmental space-use was best explained by landscape configuration. Geographic space-use exhibited a quadratic response to landscape configuration metrics, suggesting that Turkey Vultures maximize space-use in landscape with intermediate disturbance. Human disturbance, but not but not landscape composition and configuration, influenced survival rates in space and time. Overall annual survival averaged 0.87 (95% CI = 0.74 – 0.98). Mortality risk was low in western and central populations but was 3.7 times greater for vultures in the eastern population. Risk of mortality for all vulture populations increased with road density, and this was greater during the non-breeding and return migration seasons. My results suggest that spatial and population dynamics are affected at a continental scale by the energy landscape, intermediate disturbance and human disturbance. My dissertation emphasizes the importance of an integrative empirical-modeling approach to address questions on effects of resources availability and search efficiency in the spatial and population dynamics of avian scavengers.

Elk (Cervus canadensis) are known to exhibit high movement strategy diversity compared to other ungulate species. Most elk populations are migratory or partially migratory, presenting unique conservation and management challenges. For example, successful maintenance of multiple seasonal ranges and connectivity between them is necessary to conserve populations with migratory behaviors. Further study of the structure and maintenance of movement strategy diversity within partially migratory populations is needed to assist management and refine fundamental ecological theory. Improved understanding of the determinants of elk migratory timing is also important, with the dynamics of significant drivers likely to shift under future climate change and anthropogenic expansion. I investigated strategy-specific environmental responses in multiple Rocky Mountain elk populations and found evidence for a differentiation in resource use and selection among sympatric individuals using differing strategies. This result suggests a potential mechanism for the reduction of intraspecific competition and heightened population densities in partially migratory herds. However, the nature and strength of differentiation was found to be context dependent. I found that elk avoid human development and seasonally select for forage quantity over quality at relatively fine scales, highlighting some consistent selection responses as well. Overall, this analysis demonstrated intrapopulation response heterogeneity in partially migratory elk populations and characterized strategy-specific patterns of resource use and selection.I investigated how spring migratory timing and duration relate to spatiotemporal forage dynamics, finding that departure dates are affected by vegetative green-up along migratory corridors, while the duration of migration is influenced by the timing of green-up at the summer range. These results highlight a form of migratory plasticity, wherein migrants modulate both their departure date and the duration of their migration as a function of vegetative phenology. Additionally, I present a framework to quantify optimality of migratory movements in relation to peak forage conditions. On average, elk were found to exhibit high optimality, with interindividual variability along a gradient. My findings suggest a variety of responses to green-wave phenology, with optimality of movements differing as a function of individual and study area. This work contributes to the growing understanding of migratory plasticity as multidimensional and highlights the variability of migratory behavior within and among populations.

Gopher tortoise (Gopherus polyphemus; hereinafter, tortoise) is listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act in the western portion of its range. Across the species’ range, approximately 70 % of potential habitat is privately owned, and these properties are often managed primarily for timber production. However, tortoise ecology on private, working forest landscapes remains poorly understood. To provide a better understanding of tortoise response to active forest management, I evaluated population demographics, movement ecology, and habitat selection of two tortoise populations: former Ben’s Creek Wildlife Management Area (BC) in Washington Parish, Louisiana and Perry County Gopher Tortoise Management Unit (PCGTMU) in Perry County, Mississippi. At BC, tortoises were generally clustered along utility rights-of- way and roadways. At PCGTMU, tortoises were clustered within forest stands with high quality soils. Low recruitment has been documented at BC for the last 25 years. However, PCGTMU appears to have a stable population with active recruitment.

In a heterogenous environment, an animal will increase its search effort in areas where resources are abundant. This behavior can be detected in a path by a decrease in speed, an increase in tortuosity, or both. First passage time, the amount of time required for an animal to traverse a circle of a given radius, or buffer, is a common metric for quantifying spatial and temporal changes along a path. Historical methodology involving first passage time limits the utility of this metric. Here we instead follow the methodology put forth by Street et al. (2018) and use a power-law model to characterize the relationship between first passage time and the scale of the first passage time buffer radii. We then test the model’s applicability across multiple movement modes using simulated data and further explore its utility by applying it to a dataset of deer movement and the associated landscape data.