Factors affecting detection efficiency of mobile telemetry Slocum gliders

Background Acoustic biotelemetry sensors have been fully integrated into a broad range of mobile autonomous platforms; however, estimates of detection efficiency in different environmental conditions are rare. Here, we examined the role of environmental and vehicle factors influencing detection range for two common acoustic receivers, the VEMCO mobile transceiver (VMT) and a VEMCO cabled receiver (VR2c) aboard a Teledyne Slocum glider. We used two gliders, one as a mobile transmitting glider and one as a mobile receiving glider during the fall in the mid-Atlantic coastal region.