MAMVIS: A marine mammal behaviour visualization system

Seals and whales spend much of their lives underwater and thus their travel and behaviour are difficult to study, Satellite relay data loggers (SRDLs) have been developed to relay track and dive behaviour data from marine mammals. The large and complex datasets resulting from the deployment of these devices need to be interpreted in relation to the animals' oceanic environment. A marine MAMmal VISualization system (MAIMVIS), based on AVS, has been developed to allow the interactive visualization and exploration of three-dimensional animal behaviour and travel in a three-dimensional environment. Altering the position and direction of the camera and the angle of its lens, as well as animation, allows the comprehensive exploration such of complex datasets. An example of the utility of MAMVIS is demonstrated by a case study into the foraging ecology of elephant seals in the south Atlantic.