Steller Sea Lion Pup Blood Chemistry and Hematology from Alaskan Rookeries

1,231 blood samples from Steller sea lion pups under two months old provide serum chemistry and hematology values. Data collection spanned 13 years from 1998 to 2011 across 37 Alaskan rookeries. The dataset was created by NOAA NCEI for health analysis by Lander et al. (2013).

Use Cases

• Analyze correlations between serum chemistry values like glucose or electrolytes and pup health status.
• Compare hematological parameters such as red blood cell count across different Alaskan rookery locations.
• Model temporal trends in blood biomarkers across the 13-year sampling period from 1998 to 2011.
• Investigate potential health condition indicators using the linked analysis from NOAA/NMFS InPort ID 24630.

Strengths

• Contains 1,231 individual animal records, providing a substantial sample size for analysis.
• Data collection spans 37 distinct geographic locations across the Alaskan range, offering spatial breadth.
• Covers a 13-year time period (1998-2011), allowing for longitudinal health trend examination.

Limitations

• Specific blood chemistry and hematology column names and measurement units are not provided in the metadata.
• Data is over a decade old, with the last update in 2011, limiting analysis of recent population health.
• Sample collection was limited to a narrow seasonal window (mid-June to early July) each year.

Provenance

Source

NOAA NCEI (National Centers for Environmental Information), linked to NOAA/NMFS InPort ID 24630.

Collection Method

Blood samples collected from the caudal gluteal vein into EDTA and serum separator tubes, with analytical methodology detailed in Lander et al. (2013).

Time Range

1998-06-01 to 2011-07-15

Freshness

Data collection ended on 2011-07-15; no update frequency is specified.

Geography

37 rookeries across the Alaskan range of Steller sea lions.