Rays in the northern Gulf of Mexico: Aerial Survey and Satellite Telemetry 2008-2012

The dataset contains distribution and abundance data for rays in the Gulf of Mexico collected through aerial surveys and satellite telemetry. Aerial survey data includes the date, time, latitude and longitude where rays were observed, and number and species of rays observed during 32 surveys which took place from 2008 to 2011. Satellite telemetry data contains data for 11 cownose rays that were fitted with Smart Positioning or Temperature satellite transmitters between March and November 2011. The satellite telemetry data includes information about the cownose rays that were tracked, including the location they were caught, disk length, disk width, weight, sex, the number of days that the satellite tag remained attached to the ray, the calculated total distance traveled by each ray while fitted with the tag, and the calculated mean and maximum rate of movement for each ray while fitted with the satellite tag. The data from ARGOS that was used to calculate total distance and rates of movement for the tagged cownose rays is included in this data set and includes location date, satellite that received the signal, latitude, longitude, number of messages received and data ARGOS used to calculate the error ellipse for each location.