Platform transmitting terminal (PTT) tracking of Gentoo penguins at South Georgia, winter 2018

• Main Authors: Ratcliffe, Norman, Love, Kieran
• Format: Dataset
• Language: English
• Published: UK Polar Data Centre, Natural Environment Research Council, UK Research & Innovation 2020
• Subjects: "EARTH SCIENCE","BIOSPHERE","ECOLOGICAL DYNAMICS"; Fishery overlap; Gentoo penguin; Marine Protected Area; PTT tag; Satellite tracking; South Georgia; Winter movements; Maiviken; Ocean Harbour
• Online Access: https://dx.doi.org/10.5285/01e8e674-0403-4cca-8271-415b63130c3d; https://data.bas.ac.uk/full-record.php?id=GB/NERC/BAS/PDC/01442

Platform Transmitting Terminal (PTT) tags were used to track Gentoo penguins from Maiviken and Ocean Harbour, South Georgia, from June to September 2018. PTT tags were attached to the lower back feathers with tape and glue. PTT tags use the ARGOS satellite system to collect geospatial data. Tags were deployed to provide information on the protection afforded to Gentoo penguins by the 12NM no take zone (part of the South Georgia and South Sandwich Island MPA that is closed to fishing), and the krill fishing grounds. : PTT tags were deployed on eight randomly selected birds roosting at Maiviken (11 June 2018) and eight randomly selected birds roosting at Ocean Harbour (18 June 2018). Birds were then released and positions were transmitted via the ARGOS system until the tags expired. : Satellite fixes are between 1.5 and 10km accurate, depending on the accuracy class assigned by ARGOS. The PTT data files include quality information, under the fields loc_class and loc_ind. The loc_class field indicates an error value for the location which is determined by the number of satellites the tag connected with. Codes are detailed in readme.txt file. The loc_ind field indicates the IQ (Quality indicator). This indicator gives information on the transmitter in terms of X and Y. X (the first digit in the loc_ind field) indicates residual error on the frequency calculation. Y (the second digit in the loc_ind field) indicates transmitter oscillator frequency drift between two satellite passes. Meanings of the values of X and Y are detailed in the readme.txt file.