Marine Wildlife Behavior Database
Metadata

Section 4: Dive Time
This section includes fields that describe the durations over which subject animal(s) dove during the study. The dives in this section are true dives defined by log survivorship analysis. The alpha and beta parameters of the gamma distribution are determined by fitting the raw data in a statistical package. Bottom time is defined as the time interval between the first and last depths that occurred at ≥ 80% of the dive's maximum depth (Schreer et al., 2001).

• Minimum Dive Time
  DT_MinTime(sec): The shortest duration of a true dive recorded for the subject (seconds).
  
  
• Maximum Dive Time
  DT_MaxTime(sec): The longest duration of a true dive recorded for the subject (seconds).
  
  
• Mean Dive Time
  DT_MeanTime(sec): The mean or average duration of all of the true dives of the subject animal (seconds).
  
  
• Median Dive Time
  DT_MedianTime(sec): The middle value in the distribution of dive durations (seconds). If there is an even number of dive depths, it is the average of the two middle values.
  
  
• Mode Dive Time
  DT_ModeTime(sec): The most common dive duration; in the frequency distribution, the duration with the greatest number of frequencies (seconds).
  
  
• Gamma Distribution Alpha DT_GammaDistAlpha: The shape parameter of the gamma distribution of dive durations, determined by submitting data and fitting the raw data in a statistical package.
  
  
• Gamma Distribution Beta
  DT_GammaDistBeta: The rate parameter, equal to 1/Θ (the scale parameter), of the gamma distribution of dive durations, determined by submitting data and fitting the raw data in a statistical package.
  
  
• Dive Time Standard Deviation
  DT_DurationStdDev: To express the degree of dispersion in the true dive time data, the standard deviation (square root of the variance) should be entered (seconds).
  
  
• Bottom Time Minimum
  DT_BottomTimeMin(sec): The minimum amount of time the subject spent at greater than 80% of the dive's maximum depth (seconds).
  
  
• Bottom Time Maximum
  DT_BottomTimeMax(sec): The maximum amount of time the subject spent at greater than 80% of the dive's maximum depth (seconds).
  
  
• Bottom Time Mean
  DT_BottomTimeMean(sec): The mean or average time the subject spent at greater than 80% of the dive's maximum depth (seconds).
  
  
• Bottom Time Median
  DT_BottomTimeMedian(sec): The middle value in the distribution of bottom time (seconds). If there is an even number of bottom times, it is the average of the two middle values.
  
  
• Bottom Time Mode
  DT_BottomTimeMode: The most common bottom time; in the frequency distribution, the bottom time with the greatest number of frequencies (seconds).
  
  
• Bottom Time Stdandard Deviation
  DT_BottomTimeStdDev: To express the degree of dispersion in the bottom time data, the standard deviation (square root of the variance) should be entered (seconds).
  
  
• Comments
  DT_Comments: Free form field to note complications with data entry, information to review at a later date, etc.