Dataset title: Water Temperature measured at Shark River, Everglades National Park (FCE) from October 2007 to August 2008 Dataset ID: PHY_Rosenblatt_001 Research type: Long-Term Physical Dataset Creator Name: Mr. Adam Rosenblatt Position: Graduate Student Organization: Florida International University, BBC, MSB 334 Address: 3000 NE 151 St North Miami, FL 33181 USA Phone: 305-919-4263 Fax: 305-919-4030 Email: arose007@fiu.edu URL: http://adam.rosenblatt.googlepages.com/home Metadata Provider Organization: Florida Coastal Everglades LTER Program Address: Florida International University University Park OE 148 Miami, FL 33199 USA Phone: 305-348-6054 Email: fcelter@fiu.edu URL: http://fcelter.fiu.edu Dataset Abstract American alligators (Alligator mississippiensis) are top predators in the Florida Coastal Everglades (FCE), but their movement patterns and role in the ecosystem are largely unknown. Proposed restoration and management efforts in the Everglades are likely to influence both alligator movements and the spatiotemporal patterns of their effects on ecosystem and community dynamics, making studies of the factors influencing alligator movements important at this time. In October 2007, we initiated a study of alligators in the Shark River Slough of Everglades National Park using two tracking techniques that have yet to be used on crocodilians: GPS tracking and passive acoustic telemetry. GPS units attached to two alligators have provided 120 positions over a two month period while acoustic transmitters attached to 12 alligators have been detected 34,000 times on an array of 8 monitoring stations within the river system. GPS positions are more accurate than acoustic monitoring and can provide data over the entire range an alligator might move, but acoustic transmitters provide more temporally detailed information on movements within a monitoring array and over a longer duration (potentially years rather than months). Our preliminary results show that alligators may remain in localized areas for weeks at a time, but make long-distance moves from the mouth of the river system to the marsh-mangrove ecotone and likely into the marsh. In general, most alligators moved upstream as freshwater inputs decreased, but some individuals remained near the river mouth even when salinities were high. Ultimately, by characterizing alligator movements in relation to spatiotemporal variation in environmental factors we will be able to predict how alligator distributions and populations will respond to planned increases in freshwater flow. Furthermore, movement data combined with dietary and stable isotopic studies may shed light on the possible role of alligators in the redistribution of nutrients throughout the Shark River system. Geographic Coverage Study Extent Description The Study Extent of this dataset includes the FCE Shark River Slough research sites within Everglades National Park, South Florida Bounding Coordinates Geographic description: Data were collected in the Shark River Slough, within Everglades National Park, South Florida West bounding coordinate: -81.089 East bounding coordinate: -80.880 North bounding coordinate: 25.454 South bounding coordinate: 25.384 Geographic description: Florida Coastal Everglades LTER Study Area: South Florida, Everglades National Park, and Florida Bay West bounding coordinate: -81.078 East bounding coordinate: -80.490 North bounding coordinate: 25.761 South bounding coordinate: 24.913 FCE LTER Sites: SRS4 and SRS-5 All Sites Geographic Description:Harney River Longitude:81.09 Latitude:25.43 Geographic Description:Shark River Longitude:81.02 Latitude:25.38 Geographic Description:Tarpon Bay Longitude:81.01 Latitude:25.42 Geographic Description:Rookery Branch West Longitude:80.96 Latitude:25.42 Geographic Description:Rookery Branch East Longitude:80.88 Latitude:25.45 Geographic Description:Rookery Branch North Longitude:80.93 Latitude:25.44 Geographic Description:Rookery Branch Upper Longitude:80.95 Latitude:25.45 Geographic Description:Rookery Branch Central Longitude:80.91 Latitude:25.44 Temporal Coverage Start Date: 2007-10-05 End Date: 2008-08-09 Data Table Entity Name: PHY_Rosenblatt_001 Entity Description: Water Temperature measured at Shark River, Everglades National Park (FCE) Object Name: PHY_Rosenblatt_001 Data Format Number of Header Lines: 1 Attribute Orientation: column Field Delimiter: , Number of Records: Attributes Attribute Name: SITENAME Attribute Label: sitename Attribute Definition: Name of Sampling site Storage Type: text Measurement Scale: Name of Sampling site Missing Value Code: Attribute Name: SITEALIAS Attribute Label: sitealias Attribute Definition: Alias of Collection Site Storage Type: text Measurement Scale: Alias of Collection Site Missing Value Code: Attribute Name: Date Attribute Label: datetime Attribute Definition: Collection Date and Time Storage Type: datetime Measurement Scale: Missing Value Code: Attribute Name: Time Attribute Label: Time Attribute Definition: Collection Time Storage Type: data Measurement Scale: Collection Time Missing Value Code: Attribute Name: Water_Temperature Attribute Label: Temperature Attribute Definition: Water Temperature Storage Type: data Measurement Scale: Units: celsius Precision: 0.001 Number Type: real Missing Value Code: -9999.000 (Value will never be recorded ) Methods Sampling Description Temperature data was collected by 8 HOBO Water Temp Pro v2 temperature loggers (one at each site) positioned approximately 10cm above the river bottom. Six of the loggers recorded the temperature every 10min and 2 of the loggers recorded the temperature every 15min. Method Step Description Temperature data was collected by 8 HOBO Water Temp Pro v2 temperature loggers (one at each site) positioned approximately 10cm above the river bottom. Six of the loggers recorded the temperature every 10min and 2 of the loggers recorded the temperature every 15min. Instrumentation HOBO Water Temp Pro v2 (Onset, Bourne, MA) Quality Control Quality control consisted of checking the temperature readings at each station with a YSI probe at least once every 2-6 weeks and then comparing the YSI readings to the HOBO logger readings. Distribution Online distribution: http://fcelter.fiu.edu/perl/public_data_download.pl?datasetid=PHY_Rosenblatt_001.txt Intellectual Rights These data are classified as 'Type I' whereby original FCE LTER experimental data collected by individual FCE researchers are available for scientific purposes 2 years after collection. Maximum lock period = 2 years. All publications based on this dataset must cite the data Contributor, the Florida Coastal Everglades Long-Term Ecological Research (LTER) Program and that this material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation through the Florida Coastal Everglades Long-Term Ecological Research program under Cooperative Agreements #DBI-0620409, and #DEB-9910514. Additionally, two copies of the manuscript must be submitted to the Florida Coastal Everglades LTER Program Office, LTER Program Manager, Florida International University, Southeast Environmental Research Center, OE 148, University Park, Miami, Florida 33199. For a complete description of the FCE LTER Data Distribution and Data User Agreement, please go to FCE Data Management Policy at http://fcelter.fiu.edu/data/DataMgmt.pdf and LTER Network Data Access Policy at http://fcelter.fiu.edu/data/core/data_user_agreement/distribution_policy.html. Dataset Keywords FCE Florida Coastal Everglades LTER ecological research long-term monitoring American alligator Shark River Rookery Branch water water temperature temperature Harney River Tarpon Bay processes freshwater ecosystems nutrients estuarine Data Submission Date: 2008-09-19 Maintenance This is a long-term physical dataset and subsequent data and and subsequent data will be appended. This dataset replaces all previous versions of PHY_Rosenblatt_001 original. The FCE program is discontinuing its practice of versioning data as of March 2013. Dataset Contact Position: Information Manager Organization: LTER Network Office Address: UNM Biology Department, MSC03-2020 1 University of New Mexico Albuquerque, NM 87131-0001 USA Phone: 505 277-2535 Fax: 505 277-2541 Email: tech-support@lternet.edu URL: http://www.lternet.edu Position: Information Manager Organization: Florida Coastal Everglades LTER Program Address: Florida International University University Park OE 148 Miami, FL 33199 USA Phone: 305-348-6054 Fax: 305-348-4096 Email: fcelter@fiu.edu URL: http://fcelter.fiu.edu Project permits Everglades National Park Scientific Permit 0025 Dataset Submission Date 2008-09-19 Information Management Notes This is a long-term physical dataset and subsequent data and and subsequent data will be appended. This dataset replaces all previous versions of PHY_Rosenblatt_001 original. The FCE program is discontinuing its practice of versioning data as of March 2013.