Data Templates

Data sheet templates for tagging, receiver deployment, and project metadata

The PIRAT Network follows data standards laid out by the Ocean Tracking Network for the purposes of documenting acoustic telemetry projects. The accepted metadata sheet formats are available below, in Excel and printable field-sheet formats. Detection data can be provided in the raw output format the vendor supplies (i.e. for Vemco-branded receivers, a set of .vrl files from the offloaded receivers can be archived as .ZIP files and submitted to pirat@hawaii.edu, or uploaded via the project repository folders on this portal.)

Project Metadata

A word on Tag Projects vs. Array Projects

Not all projects have their own dedicated array, and typically an array deployment will host multiple tagging projects (simultaneously and sequentially). To maintain this distinction, we split our "projects" into Tag Projects and Array Projects. All new users will be set up with a Tag and an Array Project. Once a group has an active array, any new tagging studies relying on that array only need Tag Projects set up. 

Tag Project Metadata

When registering your project with the PIRAT Network, you must provide information on the core attributes of your project, including: scientific abstract, associated investigators, contact and citation info (to be used for attribution), geospatial details, temporal and taxonomic range.

Download .txt

Array Project Metadata

When registering your project with the PIRAT Network, you must provide information on the core attributes of your project, including: scientific abstract, associated investigators, contact and citation info (to be used for attribution), geospatial details, temporal and taxonomic range.

Download .txt

Tagging Metadata

This should contain information about the deployment of tags (acoustic, PIT, satellite, floy, etc.) in/on animals for the purposes of tracking their movements using either listening stations or via mark/recapture. Any biological metrics that were measured at tagging time, (e.g. length, weight, maturity), can be included for future analysis.

Download .xlsx

Receiver/Instrument Deployment Metadata

Information about the deployment of any instruments used to detect tagged subjects or collect related data. This includes stationary test tags, range test instruments, non-acoustic environmental sensors etc. Geographic location, as well as the duration of the deployment for each instrument, is recorded. The locations of these listening stations are used to fix detections geographically.

Download .xlsx