Global trends in aquatic animal satellite telemetry studies

Satellite telemetry has revolutionized the study of aquatic animal movement by enabling high-resolution tracking across vast spatial and temporal scales. Here we undertake a global systematic review of studies since 1982 to summarise state of knowledge by taxonomic group, sample size, life history stage studied, and tracking mode (i.e., archival vs. near real-time). We then classify studies according to defined research and management themes, highlight geographic trends aligned with FAO major fishing areas, and examine how these themes are distributed globally. Of a total of 1137 studies, encompassing over 30 000 tagged individuals across diverse aquatic taxa, mammals, fish, and reptiles were the most studied. Research has largely focused on marine systems, particularly in the northern Atlantic and Pacific, but freshwater ecosystems remain underrepresented. Most studies explored general movement patterns, with fewer addressing applied conservation topics such as movement barriers or protected area effectiveness. Overall, integration with complementary methods (e.g., genetic or physiological sampling) was limited. Addressing identified gaps in underrepresented taxa (e.g., invertebrates), regions (e.g., the Indian Ocean), and emerging topics (e.g., climate change responses) will be critical to fully realize the potential of satellite telemetry for conservation and management of aquatic biodiversity.