Best Practice Manual for SMRU CTD Satellite Relay Data Loggers: Instrument Calibration, Near Real-Time and Delayed Mode Data QA/QC. Version 1.0. [ENDORSED PRACTICE]

Abstract

This document is the IMOS Animal Tracking Facility’s Best Practice manual for near real-time and delayed-mode processing of physical and behavioural observations collected using Sea Mammal Research Unit CTD Satellite Relay Data loggers (SMRU CTD-SRDL). The Animal Tracking Facility deploys SMRU CTD-SRDL’s on southern elephant seals (Mirounga leonina) and Weddell seals (Leptonychotes weddellii) in the Southern Ocean and on olive ridley sea turtles (Lepidochelys olivacea) and flatback sea turtles (Natator depressus) in the Timor and Arafura Seas. The data transmitted by these instrumented animals contributes to the study of ocean structure and dynamics by supplying temperature and salinity observations within the upper ocean in high latitude, shallow coastal and tropical regions that are historically under-sampled by traditional observing platforms.

This document describes the calibration methods used by the Animal Tracking Facility prior to instrument deployment and the quality analyses/quality control (QA/QC) methods for both near real-time and delayed-mode data.