These data were part of a pilot tracking study of three adult female caribou from the Fortymile Herd in Alaska. The dataset is comprised of two comma separated values (.csv) files. Data includes: 1) processed (i.e., erroneous locations removed) GPS locations for caribou, received once per hour for 6 months (October 1998 to April 1999), and 2) spatial, temporal, and biological attributes of three female caribou tracked during the study.

This data release includes 3 child items with tracking data for caribou, a terrestrial mammal that inhabits Alaska and Canada. Child Item 1: "GPS Tracking Data for Caribou (Rangifer tarandus granti) from the Denali Herd, Alaska, 2010-2018" Child Item 2: "GPS Tracking Data for Caribou (Rangifer tarandus granti) from the Fortymile Herd, Alaska, 1998-1999" Child Item 3: "GPS Tracking Data for Caribou (Rangifer tarandus granti) from the Nelchina Herd, Alaska, 1999-2002"

This data release includes 1 child item with tracking data for Caribou, a migratory ungulate that lives throughout higher latitudes of North America. Child Item 1: "GPS Tracking Data for Caribou (Rangifer tarandus granti) from the Fortymile Herd, Alaska, 1998-1999" -- Quality-controlled data collected from GPS satellite transmitters.

Understanding the short- and long-distance movements of wildlife is critical for a wide variety of ecological research studies and management decisions. Since the mid-1980s, the USGS Alaska Science Center has collected data from wildlife tracking devices to: determine locations of animals throughout their annual cycles, understand patterns of habitat use, quantify time spent on various behaviors, determine timing of life cycle events, and identify geographic areas repeatedly used by wildlife that may be of significance to other species and populations. These datasets are a collection of the USGS Alaska Science Center wildlife tracking data arranged by species or closely allied species groups. Details of tracking projects, devices, methods, and data can be found within each species directory.

Understanding the short- and long-distance movements of wildlife is critical for a wide variety of ecological research studies and management decisions. Since the mid-1980s, the USGS Alaska Science Center has collected data from wildlife tracking devices to: determine locations of animals throughout their annual cycles, understand patterns of habitat use, quantify time spent on various behaviors, determine timing of life cycle events, and identify geographic areas repeatedly used by wildlife that may be of significance to other species and populations. These datasets are a collection of the USGS Alaska Science Center wildlife tracking data arranged by species or closely allied species groups. Details of tracking projects, devices, methods, and data can be found within each species directory.

This metadata document describes the data contained in the "Argos Processed Data" (Child Item 1) of this data release. This data release contains all data collected by the Argos System from 32 satellite transmitters attached to Whimbrels on their breeding range in arctic and western Alaska, 2006-2010. The raw data were processed to accomplish two goals: flag implausible location estimates and decode raw sensor data. Three Comma Separate Value (CSV) tables are included in the "Argos Processed Data" (Child Item 1) of this data release: 1) the "diag_filteredLocations" table contains one record for every Argos location estimate collected, accompanied by a binary flag that denotes an algorithm's plausibility check (based on distance, turning angle, and rate thresholds). Each record also includes a 'Tracking_Status' variable that denotes whether the location was collected from a live animal, a dead animal, or shed transmitter, 2) the "decodedSensor" table contains decoded sensor data such as the transmitter's temperature, battery voltage, and motion (activity), and 3) the "deploymentAttributes" table contains one record for each transmitter deployment in a CSV formatted table. The deployment attributes file contains information such as when the transmitter was attached to the animal, when tracking of a live animal ended, and a variety of variables describing the animal and transmitter. This table is identical to the "deploymentAttributes" table in the "Argos Raw Data" (Child Item 2) of this data release.

This data release includes 2 child items with tracking data for Bar-tailed Godwits. One of the subspecies, Limosa lapponica baueri, nests in Alaska and spends the nonbreeding season in New Zealand and eastern Australia whereas L.l.menzbieri nests in Siberia and spends the nonbreeding season in western Australia. Child Item 1: "Argos Satellite Tracking Data for Bar-tailed Godwits (Limosa lapponica) - Processed Data" -- Quality-controlled data collected from Argos satellite transmitters. Child Item 2: "Argos Satellite Tracking Data for Bar-tailed Godwits (Limosa lapponica) - Raw Data" -- All raw data collected from Argos satellite transmitters, provided for completeness of the archive. The quality-controlled, "Argos Processed Data" (Child Item 1) are better suited for most analytical purposes.

This data release includes 2 child items with tracking data for Bar-tailed Godwits. One of the subspecies, Limosa lapponica baueri, nests in Alaska and spends the nonbreeding season in New Zealand and eastern Australia whereas L.l.menzbieri nests in Siberia and spends the nonbreeding season in western Australia. Child Item 1: "Argos Satellite Tracking Data for Bar-tailed Godwits (Limosa lapponica) - Processed Data" -- Quality-controlled data collected from Argos satellite transmitters. Child Item 2: "Argos Satellite Tracking Data for Bar-tailed Godwits (Limosa lapponica) - Raw Data" -- All raw data collected from Argos satellite transmitters, provided for completeness of the archive. The quality-controlled, "Argos Processed Data" (Child Item 1) are better suited for most analytical purposes.

This data release includes 1 child item with tracking data for Pacific Loons, a species that breeds throughout much of Alaska and winters throughout the Pacific Ocean basin, along the coasts of East Asia and North America. Child Item 1: "Argos Satellite Tracking Data for Pacific Loons (Gavia pacifica) - Processed Data" -- Quality-controlled data collected from Argos satellite transmitters.

This data release includes 1 child item with tracking data for Pacific Loons, a species that breeds throughout much of Alaska and winters throughout the Pacific Ocean basin, along the coasts of East Asia and North America. Child Item 1: "Argos Satellite Tracking Data for Pacific Loons (Gavia pacifica) - Processed Data" -- Quality-controlled data collected from Argos satellite transmitters.