Satellite tags reveal a mix of resident and migratory strategies in breeding male green sea turtles with distinct patterns of horizontal and vertical space use
Data files
Aug 17, 2026 version files 19.48 MB
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Argos_FastGPS_Starting_8pm.csv
4.31 MB
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behavior_names.csv
1.11 KB
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data_dictionary.csv
11.43 KB
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figure_file_workflow.csv
2.66 KB
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final_file_manifest.csv
77.37 KB
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map_layers_by_figure.csv
1.24 KB
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Map_layers_for_ArcGISPro.tar.gz
14.45 MB
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MEPS_review_1_analysis_files.tar.gz
610.95 KB
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README.md
18.16 KB
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Table1_tracking_summary.csv
1.84 KB
Abstract
During three breeding seasons starting in 2019–2020 (December – January), 19 individual male green turtles in courtship were captured in waters around Fernando de Noronha, with one individual tagged across two consecutive breeding seasons. Once captured by snorkelers or scuba divers, the turtles were brought to the research vessel where curved carapace length (± 0.1 cm; CCL) was obtained from the anterior point of the nuchal scute to the posterior tip of the carapace, and Inconel flipper tags (Style 681, National Band and Tag Company, Newport, KY, USA) were attached to both front flippers. Twenty Platform Transmitter Terminals (PTTs) were deployed (Wildlife Computers, Redmond, WA, USA), including Fastloc GPS equipped with time-depth recorders (n = 18) and only Argos (n = 2), hereafter referred to as “satellite tags”. The turtle’s carapace was cleaned with isopropyl alcohol and sandpaper to ensure a secure attachment point. Satellite tags were attached to each captured turtle with different epoxy and fiberglass depending on the year of the project (3M Scotch-Weld Low Odor Acrylic Adhesive DP8805NS, Devcon 5 Minute Epoxy No. 14270, Sika2 Epoxy). Satellite tags were previously painted with three coats of antifouling paint (Micron66), with another coat applied to the satellite tag as well as the mounting adhesive. With the exception of turtle ID Julio Grande, which was configured to acquire fixes every two hours, all the other satellite tags were configured to acquire one fix every hour.
This Dryad package contains study-specific data tables, R scripts, spatial layers, and final/reproducible outputs used for the final MEPS version of the manuscript on adult male green turtle residency, migration, and diving behavior at Fernando de Noronha, Brazil. Data were downloaded from the web portal (https://my.wildlifecomputers.com/).
Data availability statement
Raw horizontal telemetry data, dive histogram data, and related code (Cullen et al., 2024) are publicly available from Zenodo: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.14262514.
The files in this Dryad package provide the study-specific deployment summary, a harmonized horizontal-telemetry input table, final review-stage analysis tables/scripts, and map-layer files used with the final manuscript. The original horizontal telemetry exports and dive files are not duplicated here because they are already publicly archived at the Zenodo DOI above. Argos_FastGPS_Starting_8pm.csv is retained because it records the study-specific combination and analytical start-time alignment of Argos and Fastloc GPS locations; that intermediate selection cannot be reconstructed from the archived raw files alone. Manuscript figures are not included. The file data_dictionary.csv provides a machine-readable data dictionary for the tabular files and key spatial-layer attributes.
Description of the data and file structure
Dryad displays uploaded files in a flat list. The upload therefore contains individual documentation/table files plus two compressed archives that preserve the directory structure required for the analysis and spatial files.
Files uploaded to Dryad
File: README.md
Description: Public description of the dataset, variables, analysis workflow, and access information.
File: Table1_tracking_summary.csv
Description: The 20 transmitter deployments on 19 males reported in manuscript Table 1, restricted to the 10 fields shown in that table.
File: Argos_FastGPS_Starting_8pm.csv
Description: Harmonized Argos and Fastloc GPS locations for the 20 deployments, after applying the study-specific analytical start-time alignment at 20:00.
File: MEPS_review_1_analysis_files.tar.gz
Description: Final review-stage CSV tables and R scripts. Extracting the archive creates the directory MEPS_review_1/. The archive does not contain manuscript figure images.
File: Map_layers_for_ArcGISPro.tar.gz
Description: Spatial layers used to assemble manuscript map figures in ArcGIS Pro. Extracting the archive creates the directory. Map_layers/.
File: data_dictionary.csv
Description: Field-level descriptions, units, and allowed values or notes for tabular files and key spatial attributes.
File: figure_file_workflow.csv
Description: Manuscript output-to-input-to-code correspondence table.
File: map_layers_by_figure.csv
Description: Spatial layers grouped by manuscript map figure.
File: behavior_names.csv
Description: Correspondence between intermediate behavior labels and final manuscript terminology.
File: final_file_manifest.csv
Description: Complete manifest of the organized source package, including files contained in the two archives.
After extraction, the analysis archive containsMEPS_review_1/, and the map archive contains Map_layers/. The workflow linking manuscript outputs to files is summarized infigure_file_workflow.csv; map layers are summarized in map_layers_by_figure.csv.
Tabular formats and missing values
All tabular files in the revised deposit are CSV files. Formatted Excel workbooks, filters, highlighting, formulas, and layout-only blank rows were removed. Where an original workbook contained multiple relevant sheets, each required sheet was exported as a separate CSV file, and the corresponding R script was updated to read the CSV.
NA denotes a value that was not available, was not collected, or did not apply to that record. Any retained empty fields in the deposited processed or source-derived tables have the same meaning and do not represent a measured zero. Structural zeros in count variables remain numeric. 0.
CC0 compatibility and source provenance
The deployment summary, harmonized telemetry table, processed analysis tables, analysis scripts, and derived spatial analysis layers included in this Dryad deposit were produced by the study authors from data collected for this research and are submitted under Dryad's CC0 waiver. Original horizontal telemetry exports and dive data are available from Zenodo at https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.14262514 and are not redistributed in this Dryad deposit. The brazil_coastline.* layer was obtained through the rnaturalearth workflow from Natural Earth, whose vector and raster map data are in the public domain and are compatible with CC0 redistribution: https://www.naturalearthdata.com/about/terms-of-use/.
An island polygon with uncertain third-party provenance was excluded from this revised deposit. It is not required to inspect the deposited derived utilization-distribution layers. Users recreating map context may obtain an appropriate public-domain or otherwise compatible coastline/island boundary independently.
Manuscript figures
No image or PDF that appears in the published manuscript is included in this deposit. R scripts and supporting CSV tables are provided for reproducibility, but generated figure files should be created locally by running the scripts.
Workflow by manuscript output
| Output | Inputs | Script or method | Output files/layers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fig. 1, study area | Map_layers/Fig1_study_area/brazil_coastline.*; island boundary obtained separately |
ArcGIS Pro | Study area map in manuscript; manuscript image not deposited |
| Fig. 2, behavioral states | Argos_FastGPS_Starting_8pm.csv; behavioral-state code and original telemetry exports from Zenodo DOI 10.5281/zenodo.14262514 |
Behavioral-state workflow and ArcGIS Pro | Latent behavioral-state map/track figure |
| Fig. 3, forest plot | MEPS_review_1/Fig 3/Fig3_Ordem.csv; MEPS_review_1/Fig 3/Fig3_Zoom_in.csv |
MEPS_review_1/Fig 3/Forest_plot_fig_3.R |
Generates the Fig. 3 panels locally; manuscript image not deposited |
| Fig. 4, dives per hour | MEPS_review_1/FiGig 4/Trimmed_Behavior_Conservative_DiveDuration.csv |
MEPS_review_1/FiGig 4/Fig4.R |
Generates Figure4_dives_per_hour.png locally; manuscript image not deposited |
| Fig. 5, dive depth/duration proportions | Raw dive histograms and behavior assignments from Zenodo DOI 10.5281/zenodo.14262514 | Dive histogram workflow using public Zenodo code | Final Fig. 5 |
| Fig. 6, breeding/residency AKDE UDs and overlap | Map_layers/Fig6_AKDE_breeding_residency/* |
ArcGIS Pro | Map assembled from AKDE and overlap shapefiles |
| Fig. 7, diel dive depth/duration differences | Raw dive histograms and behavior assignments from Zenodo DOI 10.5281/zenodo.14262514 | Dive histogram workflow using public Zenodo code | Final Fig. 7 |
| Fig. 8, migration dBBMM UDs and overlap | Map_layers/Fig8_dBBMM_migration/* |
ArcGIS Pro | Map assembled from dBBMM shapefiles and overlap layers |
| Fig. 9, mainland ARS/foraging AKDE UDs and overlap | Map_layers/Fig9_AKDE_foraging/* |
ArcGIS Pro | Map assembled from foraging AKDE shapefiles and overlap layers |
Files and variables
File: Table1_tracking_summary.csv
Description: the exact analytical cohort reported in manuscript Table 1: 20 satellite-tag deployments on 19 individual adult male green turtles. One male was deployed in two breeding seasons. The broader capture/recapture table containing 32 males was excluded because those additional individuals were not part of the satellite-telemetry analyses presented in this paper.
Variables:
Turtle_ID: individual turtle name.Date: transmitter deployment date.CCL_cm: curved carapace length in centimeters.Tail_to_tip_cm,Tail_to_vent_cm: tail measurements in centimeters.Satellite_tag_type: transmitter model.Tracked_days: tracking duration in days.Retained_GPS_fixes,Retained_Argos_fixes: retained location counts after filtering.Strategy: final classification as resident-breeder or migrant-breeder.
File: Argos_FastGPS_Starting_8pm.csv
Description: study-specific horizontal-telemetry input containing 62,398 locations from the 20 transmitter deployments. It combines Argos and Fastloc GPS records and preserves the analytical start-time alignment beginning at 20:00 used before track cleaning and behavioral-state modeling. The corresponding original telemetry data and behavioral-state code are available from Zenodo, but this harmonized intermediate table is included because its initial selection cannot be reconstructed from those raw files alone.
Variables:
Ptt: satellite transmitter identifier.Date: location timestamp inYYYY-MM-DD HH:MM:SSformat.Longitude,Latitude: observed location in decimal degrees (WGS 84).Type: location source,ArgosorFastGPS.Quality: location-quality code supplied with the telemetry record. Argos codes include0,1,2,3,A,B, andZ; Fastloc GPS records use numeric quality values and, in some exports,G.Error.radius: Argos error-radius estimate when supplied, in meters.Error.Semi.major.axis,Error.Semi.minor.axis: semi-major and semi-minor axes of the Argos error ellipse when supplied, in meters.Error.Ellipse.orientation: orientation of the Argos error ellipse when supplied, in degrees.
NA in the error fields generally means that an Argos error ellipse does not apply to a Fastloc GPS record or was not supplied for that observation. NA in Quality means that no quality code was supplied. These values are not zeros.
File: MEPS_review_1/Resident/dat.out.1hr.3_NEW_TA.csv
Description: regularized state-space movement output used for resident-breeder summaries and behavior-linked dive analyses.
Variables:
id: individual/tag identifier.date: regularized timestamp.lon,lat: longitude and latitude of estimated location.x,y: projected coordinates from the movement model.x.se,y.se: standard errors for projected coordinates.u,v: estimated movement components in x and y directions.u.se,v.se: standard errors for movement components.s,s.se: speed and standard error.logit_g,logit_g.se,g: movement-persistence parameter and uncertainty.step,angle,NSD,dt: step length, turning angle, net squared displacement, and time interval.time1,obs,disp,tseg: movement-workflow variables used in segmentation/classification.ARS,Migration,Foraging: behavioral-state indicator fields.behav: final behavior assignment used in downstream summaries.
Files: MEPS_review_1/Fig 3/Fig3_Ordem.csv and MEPS_review_1/Fig 3/Fig3_Zoom_in.csv
Description: input table for the Fig. 3 forest plot.
Files:
Fig3_Ordem.csv: full panel order and values.Fig3_Zoom_in.csv: subset/order used for the zoomed panel.
Variables:
Behavior: behavioral group.id: individual ID or mean row.Name: individual name or mean label.low-all,estimated_all,high_all: lower interval, point estimate, and upper interval for overall estimate.low_day,estimated_day,high_day: lower interval, point estimate, and upper interval for daytime estimate.low_night,estimated_night,high_night: lower interval, point estimate, and upper interval for nighttime estimate.
Script:
MEPS_review_1/Fig 3/Forest_plot_fig_3.R: reads these CSV files and generates the Fig. 3 panel and legend files locally. Generated manuscript figures are not deposited.
File: MEPS_review_1/Sup_Table_2_Migration_Zones_Summary_byID.csv
Description: migration-distance and migration-duration summaries by marine zone.
Key variables:
id: individual/tag identifier.km_island,days_island: distance and duration assigned to island shelf zone.km_ocean,days_ocean: distance and duration assigned to oceanic crossing zone.km_shelf,days_shelf: distance and duration assigned to continental shelf zone.km_total,days_total: total migration distance and duration.pct_km_island,pct_days_island,pct_km_ocean,pct_days_ocean,pct_km_shelf,pct_days_shelf: percentage of total migration distance or duration in each zone.
File: MEPS_review_1/FiGig 4/Trimmed_Behavior_Conservative_DiveDuration.csv
Description: processed dive-duration histogram records matched to regularized locations, day/night periods, and behavioral states. This is the direct input to Fig4.R.
Key variables:
id: satellite transmitter PTT identifier.day_only: calendar date used for daily grouping.behav: assigned behavior using the intermediate labelsResidency,Breeding,Migration, andForaging;Fig4.Rconverts these to final manuscript terminology.X5throughX300andX.300: dive-duration histogram-bin counts in seconds;X.300represents durations greater than 300 seconds.Period:DayorNight.
File: Map_layers/Fig9_AKDE_foraging/AKDE_Estimated_Areas_Attributes_forage.csv
Description: area and centroid summaries for foraging AKDE shapefiles.
Variables:
Source_file: source shapefile used to calculate the area attributes.ID: individual/tag identifier.Level: AKDE utilization distribution level, usually 50% or 95%.Area_km2: area of the AKDE polygon in square kilometers.centroid_lon,centroid_lat: centroid longitude and latitude.
Map layers
Maps were assembled in ArcGIS Pro rather than generated entirely by R code. The map-layer folders contain shapefiles and associated sidecar files (.shp, .shx, .dbf, .prj, and where present .cpg) plus rasters used for overlap layers.
Map_layers/Fig1_study_area/: public-domainbrazil_coastline.*layer used for study-area context. The island polygon of uncertain provenance was excluded.Map_layers/Fig6_AKDE_breeding_residency/: breeding and resident AKDE utilization distributions, combined AKDE layers, and overlap layers.Map_layers/Fig8_dBBMM_migration/: migration dBBMM 50% and 95% utilization distributions and UD overlap layers/rasters.Map_layers/Fig9_AKDE_foraging/: mainland ARS/foraging AKDE utilization distributions, combined layers, overlap layers/rasters, and area-attribute summaries.
See map_layers_by_figure.csv for the layer groups used by each map.
Behavior labels
Behavior names were updated during revision. The file behavior_names.csv records the relationship between older labels and the final manuscript labels. Its fields are raw_or_intermediate_name (label in an earlier data or model stage), later_script_name (label used by later scripts), paper_label (final manuscript terminology), and notes (context for the conversion). In brief, resident behavior corresponds to the final resident-breeder label, breeding-area use by migrants corresponds to the final migrant-breeder/breeding label, and mainland area-restricted search corresponds to foraging behavior.
Code/software
The included scripts are R scripts. They require the data files included in this package and standard R packages used for data import, manipulation, statistics, and plotting, including packages from the tidyverse ecosystem, cowplot, ggtext, and related plotting/statistical libraries loaded within each script.
The R scripts included in MEPS_review_1/ use relative paths. Run each script from its own folder, or run it withRscript, so the script can locate the associated input files in the same directory.
Access information
Other publicly accessible locations of related data/code:
- Zenodo: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.14262514. This record contains the raw horizontal telemetry data, raw dive data, and related code cited in the manuscript.
Data were derived from field capture/deployment records, raw satellite telemetry and dive data archived at Zenodo, the study-specific harmonized telemetry table included here, state-space movement model outputs, and spatial analyses assembled into manuscript maps using ArcGIS Pro.