Loggerhead Sea Turtle Satellite Data
Interpreting Loggerhead Data Results

with the

Gray's Reef National Marine Sanctuary, Georgia.

You can access loggerhead turtle data sets at
http://whale.wheelock.edu/archives/whalenet.
Sort by thread or subject to group all similar data categories, then look for "Data turtles (date)".

(The following is the actual data that was sent by argos July 10 by e-mail)

01628 15247 4 12 J 2 1997-07-09 07:29:58 32.787 280.233 0.000 401650108
1997-07-09 07:33:35 4 242 00 00 00
00 00 00 00
157 227 06 32

01628 15247 22 12 J 0 1997-07-09 09:10:08 32.704 280.190 0.000 401650108
1997-07-09 09:06:20 1 242 00 00 00

00 08 00 04
146 75 36 178
1997-07-09 09:07:01 1 242 00 00 08
137 222 03 13
67 96 167 170

These are the results of three satellite passes although only two actually have location points.

How to read the data

01628 15247 4 12 J 2 1997-07-09 07:29:58 32.787 280.233 0.000 401650108
1997-07-09 07:33:35 4 242 00 00 00
00 00 00 00
157 227 06 32

Data Key
01628 program number
15247 transmitter ID number
4 number of lines of results in satellite pass
12 number of sensors
J name of satellite, here NOAA-J
2 location class
1997-07-09 date of location obtained during the pass
07:29:58 time in UTC (currently -4 hours)
32.787 transmitter latitude in degrees and thousandths of a degree
280.233 transmitter longitude in degrees and thousandths
of a degree, eastward from 00
0.000 transmitter altitude in km
401650108 calculated transmit frequency
1997-07-09 date of data collection
07:33:35 time-code of data collection, in UTC
4 number of identical messages received
242 bin1 sensor(0-1.5m)
00 bin2 sensor(1.5-4.5m)
00 bin3 sensor(4.5-7.6m)
00 bin4 sensor(7.6-10.7m)
00 bin5 sensor(10.7-19.9m)
00 bin6 sensor(19.9-29.1m)
00 bin7 sensor(29.1-38.4m)
00 bin8 sensor(38.4-205.5m)
157 temperature bin
227 number of dives
06 average dive time
32 max. dive time

Each transmitter has its own calibrated temperature chart. See the individual Software Reports for the corresponding system number and ID code.

The 8 sensor bins collect data as programmed in each transmitter (see software report). The pressure transducer has a 10 second interval and a 34 scaling factor. For example for bin1 242: 242*10 sec. *34= 82280 sec or 1371.33 min. or 22.8555 hours. This means that within a 24 hour period this particular turtle spent 22.8555 hours on bin1 depth which is 0-1.5m.

Note: these are very small ranges for these sensors and there can be a +/-2m error.

Temperature reading: just follow the calibrated charts for each transmitter
Number of dives: 227 * 2 (scaling factor see software report)
Average Dive Time: 06 * 30 (scaling factor)=180 sec = 3 min.
Max. Dive Time: 32* 60 (scaling factor)= 1920 sec. = 32 min.
Add Bin1-Bin8 to get a total time spent underwater in 24 hrs. ( make sure to *10sec*34scaling factor).

Transmitter ID's
ID Code Turtle Name
15247 Annie
15248 Isabelle
15249 Aerial

Map:Map to track the turtles, Download and place your fixes of the movements.

Data:Initial Loggerhead Turtle Data Table

Many more data sets are available in the WhaleNet Data listserv at http://whale.wheelock.edu/archives/whalenet/0371.html. Sort by thread to group all similar data categories.

Loggerhead Links:
  • Gray's Reef National Marine Sanctuary, Georgia.

  • Loggerhead Bibliography

  • NMFS Loggerhead Turtle Page

  • NMFS Recovery Plan

  • Loggerhead Page, Turtle Watch Program, North Carolina

  • Turtle Page from Nova Scotia Museum of Natural History

    Satellite Tools, Resources, and Tracking Maps

  • What is GMT (Greenwich Mean Time)?

  • Map Generator

  • Distance generator from any two points

  • Click here for Sea Surface Temperature Satellite Images

    Initial Loggerhead Turtle Data Table

    Many more data sets are available in the WhaleNet Data listserv at http://whale.wheelock.edu/archives/whalenet/0371.html. Sort by thread to group all similar data categories.

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