Antarctic Fur Seal Stable Isotope Data from Three Colonies, 2008-2018

Stable isotope analysis of blood and whisker samples from adult female Antarctic fur seals across three Southern Ocean colonies. Data collection spans up to 11 years, from 2008 to 2018, at Marion Island, Bird Island, and Cape Shirreff. The study aims to examine temporal, spatial, and individual variation in trophic ecology, positioning these seals as sentinels of ecosystem change.

Use Cases

• Modeling temporal trends in seal diet based on the 2008-2018 time series mentioned in the description
• Comparing spatial foraging patterns across the three Southern Ocean colonies described
• Analyzing individual variation in trophic level using stable isotope data from blood and whiskers
• Investigating the role of Antarctic fur seals as ecosystem sentinels based on the study's stated purpose

Strengths

• Multi-year time series covering up to 11 years (2008-2018)
• Spatial coverage from three distinct colonies in the Southern Ocean
• Multiple tissue types analyzed (blood and whiskers) for ecological inference

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment
• Data is embargoed until 2027-01-01, restricting immediate access

Provenance

Source

Australian Ocean Data Network

Collection Method

Stable isotope analysis conducted on biological samples

Time Range

2008-2018

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-19 22:02:53.793486; freshness should be verified

Geography

Southern Ocean (Marion Island, Bird Island, Cape Shirreff)