Grid-square counts of Weddell seal pups in Antarctica's Vestfold Hills, aggregated over 24 years. The dataset contains 3,795 total pups recorded between 1973 and 1999, excluding three years with minimal data. Data originates from the Australian Antarctic Division's TAGS database.
Use Cases
- Map pupping habitat hotspots by analyzing the 'Count%' and 'Total%' columns per 'Gridsquare'.
- Assess breeding site fidelity by comparing the 'Count/Year' ratio across different grid squares.
- Model interannual variability in pup production using the provided annual averages and standard deviations for grid square occupancy and pup counts.
- Calculate population density estimates per 0.63 sq. km grid cell using the 'Count' and 'Total' fields.
Strengths
- Long-term temporal coverage spanning 24 years from 1973-1999.
- Contains 3,795 total pup records with derived metrics like percentages and ratios per grid square.
- Provides annual statistics: average of 21.5 grid squares occupied and 158.1 pups tagged per year.
Limitations
- Data excludes years 1975, 1976, and 1997 due to very low recording effort.
- Spatial resolution is limited to 0.63 square kilometer grid squares.
- The dataset is temporally stale, with the last update in 1999.
Provenance
- Source
- Australian Antarctic Division TAGS database, Report No. 11.
- Collection Method
- Field observations of tagged seal pups recorded on a predefined grid-square map.
- Time Range
- 1973-1999 (excluding 1975, 1976, 1997).
- Freshness
- null
- Geography
- Vestfold Hills, Antarctica.