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Novel Instrument

Invertebrates, such as squid and jellyfish, play a crucial role in the marine food web and are also vital commercial fisheries. Despite their importance, little is known about their natural behaviors or how environmental conditions influence their behaviors. In a time of changing ocean chemistry and warming temperatures, understanding the impact that environmental changes may have on these animals is more important than ever. WHOI biologist Aran Mooney and his collaborators created a new kind of data-logging tag, called the ITAG, for small, delicate invertebrates. The tag not only measures ocean conditions but also records an animal’s behavior over time and in high resolution. (Photo by Aran Mooney, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution)