Abatus Heart Urchin Measurements and Brooding Data from Casey Station

Measurements and brooding details of Abatus collected at Casey 01/02 and 02/03 contains morphological measurements and juvenile counts for two species of Antarctic heart urchins. The dataset was created by the Australian Antarctic Data Centre (AU_AADC) under project ASAC_2201 and was last updated in February 2003. It records specimens collected from O'Brien Bay and along a contamination gradient in Brown Bay.

Use Cases

• Analyze the relationship between adult morphology (Length, Width, Mouth Length) and reproductive output (Young) for Abatus species.
• Compare the size metrics (Pouch Length, Length) and juvenile counts (Young) of Abatus nimrodi and Abatus ingens between uncontaminated (O'Brien Bay) and contaminated (Brown Bay gradient) sites.
• Investigate spatial and temporal patterns in heart urchin populations using the Location and Date fields alongside biological measurements.
• Use the ID field to track individual specimen records across multiple morphological and reproductive variables for longitudinal-style analysis.

Strengths

• Includes measurements for multiple key morphological features (Length, Width, Mouth Length, Pouch Length) per specimen.
• Contains data from distinct environmental contexts: a reference site and a contamination gradient for comparative analysis.

Limitations

• The dataset size (row count) is unknown, limiting assessment of statistical power.
• Data is temporally stale, with the last update in 2003 and collection likely occurring in the 2001-2003 austral summers.
• Sample data and exact file format are unavailable, hindering initial inspection of data structure and quality.

Provenance

Source

Australian Antarctic Data Centre (AU_AADC), project ASAC_2201.

Collection Method

Field collection and measurement of Abatus heart urchins from specific Antarctic bay sites.

Time Range

Collection likely during austral summers of 2001/2002 and 2002/2003.

Freshness

Last updated 2003-02-28; no update frequency specified.

Geography

O'Brien Bay and Brown Bay, near Casey Station, Antarctica.