Dataset for "Large scale patterns and drivers of the diving behavior of large pelagic predators"

This dataset comprises 694 independent diving depth estimates of large pelagic predators extracted from 101 tagging studies. For both daytime and nighttime observations, two unambiguous quantities were reported: 1) the preferred diving depth (D_pref), representative of the approximate depth at which individuals spend most of the time, or in other words a mean representative depth; and (2) the preferred diving depth range (ΔD_pref), representative of the portion of the water column where individuals are most commonly recorded by the tags, or, in other words, the vertical range over which they are most commonly observed. Alongside the diving depth data, three additional types of information were extracted to co-locate diving depth observations with environmental variables, and to account for potential ontogenetic behavioral effects. These additional pieces of information include the location and period of the observations, and a representative size of the tagged individual or group of individuals. The extraction process was replicated by two separate analysts to ensure accuracy and reliability. For further details on the dataset and extraction procedure, refer to the manuscript "Large scale patterns and drivers of the diving behavior of large pelagic predators".