Nunavut Ringed Seal Health Monitoring Since 1980

40 years of biological samples from harvested ringed seals in the Canadian Arctic, collected through a partnership with Inuit hunters and community organizations. The data includes field measurements like sex and blubber depth to evaluate environmental stressors and seal health.

Use Cases

• Analyze blubber depth measurements over time to assess seal body condition and health trends.
• Evaluate sex ratios and kill date patterns in the harvested seal population for wildlife management.
• Study the relationship between environmental stressors and seal health indicators from field-collected samples.

Strengths

• Data collection has been conducted consistently since 1980, providing a long-term time series.
• Samples were collected in partnership with Inuit hunters and local organizations, incorporating traditional ecological knowledge.
• Includes specific biological measurements like blubber depth at the sternum for health assessment.

Limitations

• The exact number of records (rows) and specific data columns are not provided in the input.
• Data availability is split across multiple file formats (ESRI REST, PDF, CSV), which may complicate analysis.
• Relies on field measurements by hunters, which may introduce variability in data collection methods.

Provenance

Source

Fisheries and Oceans Canada and Environment and Climate Change Canada (Northern Contaminants program).

Collection Method

Samples collected from harvested ringed seals by Inuit hunters, who recorded measurements like date of kill, sex, and blubber depth.

Time Range

Since 1980.

Freshness

null

Geography

Nunavut, Canadian Arctic.