Dear all, On behalf of my colleagues I am pleased to inform you of the new article in Deep Sea Research II: “A new approach to tag design in dolphin telemetry: computer simulations to minimize deleterious effects” Abstract Remote-sensors and transmitters are powerful devices for studying cetaceans at sea. However, despite substantial progress in microelectronics and miniaturisation of systems, dolphin tags are imperfectly designed; additional drag from tags increases swim costs, compromises swimming capacity and manoeuvrability, and leads to extra loads on the animal’s tissue. We propose a new approach to tag design, elaborating basic principles and incorporating design stages to minimise device effects by using computer-aided design. Initially, the operational conditions of the device are defined by quantifying the shape, hydrodynamics and range of the natural deformation of the dolphin body at the tag attachment site (such as close to the dorsal fin). Then, parametric models of both of the dorsal fin and a tag are created using the derived data. The link between parameters of the fin and a tag model allows redesign of tag models according to expected changes of fin geometry (difference in fin shape related with species, sex, and age peculiarities, simulation of the bend of the fin during manoeuvres). A final virtual modelling stage uses iterative improvement of a tag model in a computer fluid dynamics (CFD) environment to enhance tag performance. This new method is considered as a suitable tool of tag design before creation of the physical model of a tag and testing with conventional wind/water tunnel technique. Ultimately, tag materials are selected to conform to the conditions identified by the modelling process and thus help create a physical model of a tag, which should minimise its impact on the animal carrier and thus increase the reliability and quality of the data obtained. Keywords: Tag; Marine mammals; Modelling; Drag; Hydrodynamics pdf of the article is available online via the following DOI link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.dsr2.2006.11.010 or by email request to pavlovv@csmu.strace.net Best regards, Vadim Pavlov Crimean State Medical University Lenin blvd 5/7 95006 Simferopol Ukraine -- Open WebMail Project (http://openwebmail.org)