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Metadata: Sea Mammal Research Unit (SMRU) grey seal pup contaminants
Abstract:
The data set comprises measurements of contaminant concentrations in the blubber of grey seal pups. Samples were collected on the Isle of May, Firth of Forth, East Scotland between 13 November and 02 December 2002. Sixty suckling pups were selected at random from the island's population, weighed, measured and tagged. Pups were recaptured repeatedly before and after weaning, with weight, length and axillary girth being re-measured each time. These measurements were used to estimate blubber reserves based on mass/length, as detailed in Hall et al. (2009). Linear regression was used to derive estimates of pup mass at weaning. Blubber biopsy samples were collected from 57 of the pups when they were first recaptured after weaning. Samples were stored at -20 °C, then extracted using the Soxhlet method. Lipid content was determined gravimetrically while Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) was used to determine wet weight concentrations of contaminants per lipid proportion of the sample. A linear back calculation based on the known rate of contaminant concentration in blubber post-weaning was used to correct values to the concentration at weaning. The data were collected by researchers from the Sea Mammal Research Unit (SMRU) at the University of St Andrews and the University of Lancaster Department of Environmental Science. The data are held at the British Oceanographic Data Centre (BODC).
Data holder:
British Oceanographic Data Centre
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Use constraints:
Data are freely available to all following agreement to the terms and conditions of a Data Licence
Other details | ||
Internal code | Internally assigned metadata identifier | 1622 |
Title | The title is used to provide a brief and precise description of the dataset such as 'Date', 'Originating organisation/programme', 'Location' and 'Type of survey'. All acronyms and abbreviations should be reproduced in full. | Sea Mammal Research Unit (SMRU) grey seal pup contaminants |
Alternative title | The purpose of alternative title is to record any additional names by which the dataset may be known. | British Oceanographic Data Centre record 1048SMRU_GREYSEAL |
File Identifier | The File Identifier is a code, preferably a GUID, that is globally unique and remains with the same metadata record even if the record is edited or transferred between portals or tools. | 26dc736252c65f41ab1899c61f7b9b42 |
Resource Identifier | This is the code assigned by the data owner. | EDMED4849 |
Resource type | The resource type will likely be a dataset but could also be a series (collection of datasets with a common specification) or a service. | dataset |
Start date | This describes the date the resource starts. This may only be the year if month and day are not known | 2002-11-13 |
End date | This describes the date the resource ends. This may only be the year if month and day are not known | 2002-12-02 |
Spatial resolution | This describes the spatial resolution of the dataset or the spatial limitations of the service. | inapplicable |
Frequency of updates | This describes the frequency with which the resource is modified or updated i.e. a monitoring programme that samples once per year has a frequency that is described as 'annually'. | asNeeded |
Abstract | The abstract provides a clear and brief statement of the content of the resource. | The data set comprises measurements of contaminant concentrations in the blubber of grey seal pups. Samples were collected on the Isle of May, Firth of Forth, East Scotland between 13 November and 02 December 2002. Sixty suckling pups were selected at random from the island's population, weighed, measured and tagged. Pups were recaptured repeatedly before and after weaning, with weight, length and axillary girth being re-measured each time. These measurements were used to estimate blubber reserves based on mass/length, as detailed in Hall et al. (2009). Linear regression was used to derive estimates of pup mass at weaning. Blubber biopsy samples were collected from 57 of the pups when they were first recaptured after weaning. Samples were stored at -20 °C, then extracted using the Soxhlet method. Lipid content was determined gravimetrically while Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) was used to determine wet weight concentrations of contaminants per lipid proportion of the sample. A linear back calculation based on the known rate of contaminant concentration in blubber post-weaning was used to correct values to the concentration at weaning. The data were collected by researchers from the Sea Mammal Research Unit (SMRU) at the University of St Andrews and the University of Lancaster Department of Environmental Science. The data are held at the British Oceanographic Data Centre (BODC). |
Lineage | Lineage includes the background information, history of the sources of data, data quality statements and methods. | Blubber samples were collected from grey seal ( Halichoerus grypus ) pups on the Isle of May (Firth of Forth, east Scotland). Sixty suckling pups were selected at random from the island's population, weighed, measured and tagged. Five of these tags malfunctioned but two of the affected pups were still included in the study, leading to a total of 57 pups in the final dataset. The pups were recaptured repeatedly before and after weaning, with weight, length and axillary girth being re-measured each time. These measurements were used to estimate blubber reserves based on mass/length, as detailed in Hall et al. (2009), and linear regression was used to derive estimates of pup mass at weaning. All animal capture was undertaken during the breeding season while the pups were still on land. Blubber biopsy samples were collected from the pups when they were first recaptured after weaning. Samples were stored at -20°C, then extracted using the Soxhlet method. Lipid content was determined gravimetrically while Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) was used to determine wet weight concentrations of contaminants per lipid proportion of the sample. A linear back calculation based on the known rate of contaminant concentration in blubber post-weaning was used to correct values to the concentration at weaning. Methods and analyses are detailed in Hall et al. (2009) and references therein. The data were submitted to BODC in .xls files containing sample metadata and concentrations of individual contaminants in blubber samples taken from each animal. Concentrations of standard combinations of congeners were also included. Data received by BODC were transferred into a template whose form had been agreed between BODC and the data originator. The data were then loaded to the BODC database using established BODC data banking procedures. No changes were made to the data during loading. Each contaminant concentration was mapped to an appropriate parameter code with exception of standard combinations of congeners. All values are wet weight concentrations per lipid proportion in the blubber of live, post-weaned pups with a correction to weaning, as described above. Note that the number of decimal places for a particular contaminant may vary between individuals. The originator has stated that, given the magnitude and biological significance of the concentrations, it is valid to round all values to one decimal place for the sake of consistency, should data users wish to do so. Instrument(s) used to collect data: gas chromatograph mass spectrometers. |
Additional information | This describes relevant references to the data e.g. reports, articles, websites plus other useful information not captured elsewhere. | Publication year: 2003-04-02 Publication title: Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in grey seals during their first year of life—are they thyroid hormone endocrine disrupters? Environmental Pollution, 126 Publication authors: Hall, A.J., Kalantzi, O.I. & Thomas, G.O. Publication editors: Sea Mammal Research Unit (SMRU) Publication year: 2009-07-14 Publication title: Exposure to persistent organic pollutants and first-year survival probability in gray seal pups. Environmental Science and Technology, 43. Publication authors: Hall, A.J., Thomas, G.O. & McConnell, B.J. Publication editors: Sea Mammal Research Unit (SMRU) |
Related keywords | ||
Keyword | General subject area(s) associated with the resource, uses multiple controlled vocabularies | Natural Environment Research Council Designated Data Centres |
General subject area(s) associated with the resource, uses multiple controlled vocabularies | Marine Environmental Data and Information Network | |
General subject area(s) associated with the resource, uses multiple controlled vocabularies | unknown | |
General subject area(s) associated with the resource, uses multiple controlled vocabularies | Concentration of polychlorobiphenyls (PCBs) in biota | |
General subject area(s) associated with the resource, uses multiple controlled vocabularies | Pesticide concentrations in biota | |
General subject area(s) associated with the resource, uses multiple controlled vocabularies | Concentration of other organic contaminants in biota | |
General subject area(s) associated with the resource, uses multiple controlled vocabularies | Human health and safety | |
Geographical coverage | ||
North | The northern-most limit of the data resource in decimal degrees | 57 |
East | The eastern-most limit of the data resource in decimal degrees | -2 |
South | The southern-most limit of the data resource in decimal degrees | 56 |
West | The western-most limit of the data resource in decimal degrees | -3 |
Responsible organisations | ||
Role | The point of contact is person or organisation with responsibility for the creation and maintenance of the metadata for the resource. | pointOfContact |
Organisation name | British Oceanographic Data Centre | |
Individual name | Polly Hadžiabdic | |
Position name | Head of the BODC Requests Team | |
Delivery point | Joseph Proudman Building, 6 Brownlow Street | |
Postal code | L3 5DA | |
City | Liverpool | |
Administrative area | Merseyside | |
Country | United Kingdom | |
URL | http://www.bodc.ac.uk/ | |
Role | The distributor is the person or organisation that distributes the resource. | distributor |
Organisation name | British Oceanographic Data Centre | |
Position name | Director | |
Delivery point | Joseph Proudman Building, 6 Brownlow Street | |
Postal code | L3 5DA | |
City | Liverpool | |
Administrative area | Merseyside | |
Country | United Kingdom | |
URL | http://www.bodc.ac.uk/ | |
Role | The originator is the person or organisation who created, collected or produced the resource. | originator |
Organisation name | Sea Mammal Research Unit | |
Individual name | Unknown | |
Position name | Unknown | |
Phone | +44 (0)1334 463446 | |
Fax | +44 (0)1334 463443 | |
Delivery point | University of St Andrews Gatty Marine Laboratory | |
Postal code | KY16 8LB | |
City | St Andrews | |
Administrative area | Fife | |
Country | United Kingdom | |
URL | http://www.smru.st-andrews.ac.uk/ | |
Role | The originator is the person or organisation who created, collected or produced the resource. | originator |
Organisation name | Lancaster University, Department of Environmental Science | |
Individual name | Unknown | |
Position name | Unknown | |
Phone | +44 (0)1524 510 301 | |
Delivery point | Lancaster Environment Centre | |
Postal code | LA1 4YQ | |
City | Lancaster | |
Administrative area | Lancashire | |
Country | United Kingdom | |
URL | http://www.lec.lancs.ac.uk | |
Role | The custodian is the person or organisation that accepts responsibility for the resource and ensures appropriate care and maintenance. If a dataset has been lodged with a Data Archive Centre for maintenance then this organisation is be entered here. | custodian |
Organisation name | British Oceanographic Data Centre | |
Position name | Director | |
Delivery point | Joseph Proudman Building, 6 Brownlow Street | |
Postal code | L3 5DA | |
City | Liverpool | |
Administrative area | Merseyside | |
Country | United Kingdom | |
URL | http://www.bodc.ac.uk/ | |
Dataset constraints | ||
20 Limitations on Public Access - Access constraints | otherRestrictions | |
20 Limitations on Public Access - Other constraints | This states any limitations on access to the data and uses free text. | Data are freely available to all following agreement to the terms and conditions of a Data Licence |
21 Conditions for Access and Use - Use limitation | This states any constraints on use of the data. Multiple conditions can be recorded for different parts of the data resource. If no conditions apply, then `No condtions apply` is recorded. This uses free text. | Usage restrictions are specified in the terms of the licence |
Version info | ||
Date of publication | The publication date of the resource or if previously unpublished the date that the resource was made publicly available via the MEDIN network. | 2017-10-03 |
Date of last revision | The most recent date that the resource was revised. | 2015-09-14 |
Date of creation | The date that the resource was created. | 2011-05-17 |
Harvest date | The date which this record has been (re)harvested from the provider. | 2024-04-14 |
Metadata date | The date when the content of this metadata record was last updated. | 2018-02-06 |
Metadata standard name | The name of the metadata standard used to create this metadata | MEDIN Discovery Metadata Standard |
Metadata standard version | The version of the MEDIN Discovery Metadata Standard used to create the metadata record | Version 2.3.8 |