| Summary: | The dataset is comprised of three files that represent (i) measured data collected from an experimental study of the rate of degradation of standard and biodegradable hardware (screws and nuts) that can be used to attach satellite radiocollars (file 1: "Hardware degradation rates.csv"), (ii) observational data collected from sham (not deployed on animals) satellite radiocollars featuring standard, biodegradable, and modified attachment hardware and devices (file 2: "Collar wear measurements.cvs"), and (iii) measurements of the tensile strength of a newly developed release timer unit (RTU: collar attachment unit that can be programmed to de-couple; CR-5) (file 3: "Release timer unit_tensile strength summary.csv"). Standard attachment hardware includes aluminum threaded nuts and CR-2a RTU's. Biodegradable attachment hardware includes Arthrex polymer blended screws and cotton spacers. The modified attachment device was the CR-5a RTU which represents a design improvement to the CR-2a unit. Hardware and sham collars were exposed to saltwater and the general environment in Anchorage, Alaska, from December 2019 through March of 2020, and measured to record mass loss and monitored for signs of deterioration. File 1 contains the following variables: "Measurement date", "DayNum" (ordinal number of measurement date), "Month" (Month of measurement), mass (gram) measurements for aluminum ("AL1-5") and Arthrex ("AR1-5") hardware replicates, minimum and maximum weekly temperatures (degrees Fahrenheit), saltwater salinity (ppt), saltwater PH, and saltwater sediment. File 2 contains the variables "Observation date", "Week", "CollarNum" (sham collar number), "HardwareNum" (references aluminum or Arthrex screws/nuts), "RTUNum" (references CR-2 or CR-5 RTU's), "SpacerNum" (presence of a cotton spacer on the collar), and observations of the condition of the hardware ("Hardware intact), RTU's ("RTU intact"), and spacers ("Spacer intact"). This data was collected as part of NPRB project 1725.
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