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Brief description
The Animal Tracking Facility (formerly known as the Australian Animal Tracking And Monitoring System (AATAMS)) is a coordinated marine animal tagging project. Satellite Relay Data Loggers (SRDL) (most with CTDs, and some also with fluorometers) are used to explore how marine mammal behaviour relates to their oceanic environment. Loggers developed at the University of St Andrews Sea Mammal Research Unit transmit data in near real time via the Argo satellite system. The Satellite Relay Data Loggers are deployed on marine mammals, including Elephant Seals, Weddell Seals, Australian Fur Seals, Australian Sea Lions, New Zealand Fur Seals. Data is being collected in the Southern Ocean, the Great Australian Bight, and off the South-East Coast of Australia. This metadata record, represents several different datasets listed hereafter, which can all be accessed through a multi-WFS service. The data represented by this record are presented in delayed mode. CTD - parameters measured by the instruments include time, conductivity (salinity), temperature, speed, fluorescence (available in the future) and depth. Diving - parameters measured by the instruments include start and end time and longitude/latitude of each individual dive, post-dive surface duration, dive duration, maximum dive depth, intermediate dive depths and times. Haulout - a haulout begins when the SRDL has been continuously dry for a specified length of time (usually 10 minutes). It ends when continuously wet for another interval (usually 40 seconds). Haulout data parameters measured by the instruments include haulout start and end dates and longitude/latitude, and haulout number. Argos locations - location data parameters measured by the instruments include time, longitude, latitude, location quality, along with other diagnostic information provided by Argos (http://www.argos-system.org/). Summary Statistics - as well as sending records of individual events such as dives and haulouts, the SRDL also calculates summary statistics of those events over a specified time period (usually 3, 4 or 6 hours). Summary statistics computed by the instruments include the proportion of time spent diving, at the surface and hauled-out, the number of dives, and the average, standard deviation and maximum dive duration and dive depth during each summary period. These statistics are based on all the data recorded by the SRDL and so are not prone to distortion by variations in the efficiency of transmission via Argos. ** For data after October 2018, please consult IMOS - Animal Tracking Facility - Satellite Relay Tagging Program - Delayed mode data with quality-controlled locations (https://catalogue-imos.aodn.org.au:443/geonetwork/srv/api/records/70f148b1-7040-4fad-944a-456413c95472), to access data with improved satellite locations. In the near future all historical delayed mode data will be reprocessed with the new quality control (QC) process, to improve the accuracy of the satellite location data, and this dataset will be replaced by the new QC’d one. **Lineage
Maintenance and Update Frequency: asNeeded
Statement: The Animal Tracking Facility Satellite Relay Tag data has been supplied to IMOS by participants, via the St Andrews University Sea Mammal Research Unit. Tags used on species: Australian Fur Seal, Australian Sea Lion, New Zealand Fur Seal and Southern Elephant Seal - CTD Satellite Relay Data Loggers (SRDL). Collect conductivity, temperature and depth information. On some Australian Sea Lions - CTD/Fluorometer Satellite Relay Data Loggers (SRDL). Collects conductivity, temperature, fluorescence and depth information. Weddell Seals - Satellite Relay Data Loggers (SRDL). Collect temperature, speed and depth information. CTD-SRDLs The CTD–Satellite Relay Data Loggers (CTD-SRDLs) are built by the Sea Mammal Research Unit (SMRU, University of St. Andrews, UK), incorporating CTD sensors developed by Valeport Ltd (Devon, UK). The sensor head consists of a pressure transducer, a platinum resistance thermometer, and an inductive cell for measuring conductivity. The temperature and conductivity sensors have a precision (repeatability) of 0.005°C and 0.005 mS/cm, respectively. Before being taken into the field, devices are calibrated in the laboratory by Valeport. Some of the CTD-SRDLs (about half) were also tested at sea against a ship-based CTD before the deployment. CTD-SRDLs record hydrographic profiles during the ascent of seals, retaining only the deepest dive in each six-hour time interval, and transmitting profiles in a compressed form (between 10 and 25 data points per profile, depending on the tag program) through the Advanced Research and Global Observation Satellite (ARGOS) system. The accuracy of ARGOS geo-positioning is typically better than ±5 km, because seals never stay at the surface more than a few minutes. New methods are currently under development by the ARGOS team, which should substantially improve the quality of positioning. Hydrographic profiles are post-processed using a unified procedure of editing, adjustment, and validation. A standard set of tests, adapted from Argo standard quality-control procedures, is first run to remove bad profiles, spikes, and outliers. For CTD-SRDLs with profiles in frozen areas, a temperature offset was estimated using the local freezing temperature. A salinity adjustment was also estimated, consisting in a pressure dependent linear correction. This bias is mainly induced by an external field effect on the conductivity sensor, which cannot be corrected a priori because it depends on how the tag has been attached on the seal’s head. Adjustments parameters were estimated for each CTD-SRDLs separately by comparisons of salinity measurements with available data in the World Ocean Database. Because the southern ACC region (south of 55ºS) is associated with a large-scale upwelling of circumpolar deep waters near the surface, the salinity at depth is very stable there, with a low natural variability highly suitable for use as a reference. Salinity data cross-comparisons between different CTD-SRDLs were also used to estimate suitable adjustments for CTD-SRDLs having no profiles available in the southern ACC region. Once calibrated, the accuracy of post-processed CTD-SRDL measurements was estimated to be ±0.03oC in temperature and ±0.05 psu (practical salinity unit) or better in salinity for CTD-SRDLs built after 2007. The achieved accuracy is highly dependent upon availability of ship-based CTD comparisons, and the type of water masses sampled during the deployment time. In best cases, an accuracy of ±0.01 ºC and ±0.02 psu can be obtained. Pre-2007 CTD-SRDLs (about 5% of profiles) used an older technology with a poorer accuracy roughly estimated around ±0.1 ºC and ±0.1 psu.
Statement: This dataset collection combines the following datastreams: CTD, Argos, Haulout, Diving, Summary Statistics. Prior to October 2015, these datastreams were described and served separately but with new developments of the portal 1-2-3, they have been combined in a single collection for ease of discovery and data access.
Notes
CreditAustralia’s Integrated Marine Observing System (IMOS) is enabled by the National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy (NCRIS). It is operated by a consortium of institutions as an unincorporated joint venture, with the University of Tasmania as Lead Agent.
Credit
Sydney Institute of Marine Science (SIMS)
Sydney Institute of Marine Science (SIMS)
Issued: 20 10 2015
Data time period: 26 03 2007 to 2019-11-30
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Subjects
Agency | SMRU | Sea Mammal Research Unit |
Animal Tagging Sub-Facility, Integrated Marine Observing System (IMOS) |
Conductivity |
CTD |
CTD Satellite Relay Data Logger |
Continents | Antarctica |
Countries | Australia |
Countries | New Zealand |
EARTH SCIENCE |
Global / Oceans | Atlantic Ocean |
Global / Oceans | Indian Ocean |
Global / Oceans | Pacific Ocean |
Global / Oceans | Southern Ocean |
Latitude north |
Longitude east |
Marine Features (Australia) | Bass Strait, TAS/VIC |
Marine Features (Australia) | Great Australian Bight, SA/WA |
OCEAN TEMPERATURE |
OCEANS |
Oceans | Marine Biology | Marine Birds |
Oceans | Marine Biology | Marine Mammals |
Offshore Islands (Australia) | Heard & McDonald Islands |
Offshore Islands (Australia) | Macquarie Island |
Practical salinity of the water body |
Pressure (measured variable) in the water body exerted by overlying sea water and any medium above it |
Regional Seas | Coral Sea |
Regional Seas | Tasman Sea |
SALINITY/DENSITY |
SMRU Ltd Satellite Relay Data Logger 9000x |
Satellite Tag |
States, Territories (Australia) | New South Wales |
States, Territories (Australia) | South Australia |
States, Territories (Australia) | Tasmania |
States, Territories (Australia) | Victoria |
States, Territories (Australia) | Western Australia |
Tags and Tracking Devices |
Temperature of the water body |
Water Temperature |
land-sea mammals |
oceans |
water temperature sensor |
User Contributed Tags
Login to tag this record with meaningful keywords to make it easier to discover
Other Information
(Animal Tracking Facility page on IMOS website)
uri :
http://imos.org.au/animaltracking.html
(View profile plots from Oceancurrent SealCTDs page)
uri :
http://oceancurrent.imos.org.au/aatams.php
(OGC WFS help documentation)
uri :
https://help.aodn.org.au/web-services/ogc-wfs/
(Best Practice Manual for SMRU CTD Satellite Relay Data Loggers)
global : 4637bd9b-8fba-4a10-bf23-26a511e17042
Identifiers
- global : 06b09398-d3d0-47dc-a54a-a745319fbece
