{"dp_type": "Dataset", "free_text": "Mammals"}
[{"awards": "2011454 Veit, Richard", "bounds_geometry": ["POLYGON((-39 -53.5,-38.6 -53.5,-38.2 -53.5,-37.8 -53.5,-37.4 -53.5,-37 -53.5,-36.6 -53.5,-36.2 -53.5,-35.8 -53.5,-35.4 -53.5,-35 -53.5,-35 -53.65,-35 -53.8,-35 -53.95,-35 -54.1,-35 -54.25,-35 -54.4,-35 -54.55,-35 -54.7,-35 -54.85,-35 -55,-35.4 -55,-35.8 -55,-36.2 -55,-36.6 -55,-37 -55,-37.4 -55,-37.8 -55,-38.2 -55,-38.6 -55,-39 -55,-39 -54.85,-39 -54.7,-39 -54.55,-39 -54.4,-39 -54.25,-39 -54.1,-39 -53.95,-39 -53.8,-39 -53.65,-39 -53.5))"], "date_created": "Mon, 10 Feb 2025 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "Birds and mammals sighted along transect surveys around South Georgia, and maps of their distributions. Associated plankton and oceanographic data.", "east": -35.0, "geometry": ["POINT(-37 -54.25)"], "keywords": "Abundance; Antarctica; Antarctic Winter; Birds; Cryosphere; CTD; Mammals; Plankton; South Georgia Island", "locations": "Antarctica; South Georgia Island", "north": -53.5, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Organisms and Ecosystems", "persons": "Manne, Lisa; Veit, Richard; Santora, Jarrod; Czapanskiy, Max", "project_titles": "Collaborative Research: Climate, Changing Abundance and Species Interactions of Marine Birds and Mammals at South Georgia in Winter", "projects": [{"proj_uid": "p0010382", "repository": "USAP-DC", "title": "Collaborative Research: Climate, Changing Abundance and Species Interactions of Marine Birds and Mammals at South Georgia in Winter"}], "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": -55.0, "title": "Bird, Mammal, Plankton, Oceanographic data, South Georgia, July 2023", "uid": "601890", "west": -39.0}, {"awards": "1853377 Shero, Michelle; 0838937 Costa, Daniel; 0838892 Burns, Jennifer", "bounds_geometry": ["POLYGON((-180 -72,-179.8 -72,-179.6 -72,-179.4 -72,-179.2 -72,-179 -72,-178.8 -72,-178.6 -72,-178.4 -72,-178.2 -72,-178 -72,-178 -72.7,-178 -73.4,-178 -74.1,-178 -74.8,-178 -75.5,-178 -76.2,-178 -76.9,-178 -77.6,-178 -78.3,-178 -79,-178.2 -79,-178.4 -79,-178.6 -79,-178.8 -79,-179 -79,-179.2 -79,-179.4 -79,-179.6 -79,-179.8 -79,180 -79,178.2 -79,176.4 -79,174.6 -79,172.8 -79,171 -79,169.2 -79,167.4 -79,165.6 -79,163.8 -79,162 -79,162 -78.3,162 -77.6,162 -76.9,162 -76.2,162 -75.5,162 -74.8,162 -74.1,162 -73.4,162 -72.7,162 -72,163.8 -72,165.6 -72,167.4 -72,169.2 -72,171 -72,172.8 -72,174.6 -72,176.4 -72,178.2 -72,-180 -72))"], "date_created": "Fri, 20 Sep 2024 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "Diel vertical migrations (DVM) have been well-documented across numerous taxa, with prey descend through the water column during daylight hours to avoid visual predators and feed at the surface at night. However, the ability of marine mammals such as Weddell seals (Leptonychotes weddellii) to follow prey to depths is likely constrained by limited breath-hold capacities and the physiological consequences of pushing aerobic thresholds. In particular, dives that exceed the aerobic dive limit require exponentially longer surface recuperation times to clear lactate byproducts from circulation. This is time that the animals then cannot spend foraging. In this study, we assess the circadian organization of the Weddell seal\u0027s dive efforts and when animals make their longest/deepest (most \u0027extreme\u0027) dives that far exceed aerobic thresholds. Sixty-two adult Weddell seals were instrumented with satellite linked relay loggers in the Ross Sea to collect behavioral information across the austral winter. Daily activities are likely to shift across the year in a highly-seasonal polar environment, and through this \u0027natural experiment\u0027 we test how free-ranging seals alter foraging behavior during Polar Day and Night (continuous light, LL and dark, DD, respectively) and varying light/dark (LD) cycling across the year.", "east": -178.0, "geometry": ["POINT(172 -75.5)"], "keywords": "Aerobic; Antarctica; Cryosphere; Weddell Seal", "locations": "Antarctica; Antarctica", "north": -72.0, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Organisms and Ecosystems; Antarctic Organisms and Ecosystems", "persons": "Shero, Michelle", "project_titles": "Collaborative Research: Physiological and Genetic Correlates of Reproductive Success in High- versus Low-Quality Weddell seals; Collaborative Research: Weddell seals as autonomous sensors of the winter oceanography of the Ross Sea", "projects": [{"proj_uid": "p0000661", "repository": "USAP-DC", "title": "Collaborative Research: Weddell seals as autonomous sensors of the winter oceanography of the Ross Sea"}, {"proj_uid": "p0010369", "repository": "USAP-DC", "title": "Collaborative Research: Physiological and Genetic Correlates of Reproductive Success in High- versus Low-Quality Weddell seals"}], "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": -79.0, "title": "Weddell seal dive behavior and rhythmicity from 2010-2012 in the Ross Sea", "uid": "601835", "west": 162.0}, {"awards": "2011285 Santora, Jarrod", "bounds_geometry": ["POLYGON((-63 -60,-62.1 -60,-61.2 -60,-60.3 -60,-59.4 -60,-58.5 -60,-57.6 -60,-56.7 -60,-55.8 -60,-54.9 -60,-54 -60,-54 -60.4,-54 -60.8,-54 -61.2,-54 -61.6,-54 -62,-54 -62.4,-54 -62.8,-54 -63.2,-54 -63.6,-54 -64,-54.9 -64,-55.8 -64,-56.7 -64,-57.6 -64,-58.5 -64,-59.4 -64,-60.3 -64,-61.2 -64,-62.1 -64,-63 -64,-63 -63.6,-63 -63.2,-63 -62.8,-63 -62.4,-63 -62,-63 -61.6,-63 -61.2,-63 -60.8,-63 -60.4,-63 -60))"], "date_created": "Tue, 28 May 2024 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "Winter survey data from the Antarctic Peninsula (including hydrography, zooplankton, and top predators) conducted from the R/V Nathaniel B. Palmer during the austral winter (August-September) of 2012-2016. Survey stations were selected from the U.S. Antarctic Marine Living Resources Program\u0027s standard grid, approximately 15-20 nm apart covering the region 60\u00b0 to 64\u00b0 S and 54\u00b0 to 63\u00b0 W. At each station, hydrography and chlorophyll measurements were collected with CTD profilers and Niskin bottles, and macrozooplankton samples were collected using an Isaacs-Kidd Midwater Trawl. Between stations, observers recorded abundance and behavior of top predators (seabirds and marine mammals).", "east": -54.0, "geometry": ["POINT(-58.5 -62)"], "keywords": "Antarctica; Antarctic Krill; Antarctic Peninsula; Cryosphere; Pack Ice; Polynya; Seabirds; Sea Ice; Winter; Zooplankton", "locations": "Antarctic Peninsula; Antarctica", "north": -60.0, "nsf_funding_programs": null, "persons": "Santora, Jarrod; Reiss, Christian; Dietrich, Kim; Czapanskiy, Max", "project_titles": "Collaborative Research: Climate, Changing Abundance and Species Interactions of Marine Birds and Mammals at South Georgia in Winter", "projects": [{"proj_uid": "p0010382", "repository": "USAP-DC", "title": "Collaborative Research: Climate, Changing Abundance and Species Interactions of Marine Birds and Mammals at South Georgia in Winter"}], "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": -64.0, "title": "Winter marine communities of the Antarctic Peninsula", "uid": "601795", "west": -63.0}, {"awards": "2021245 Li, Yun; 1643735 Li, Yun", "bounds_geometry": ["POLYGON((-180 -60,-144 -60,-108 -60,-72 -60,-36 -60,0 -60,36 -60,72 -60,108 -60,144 -60,180 -60,180 -61.8,180 -63.6,180 -65.4,180 -67.2,180 -69,180 -70.8,180 -72.6,180 -74.4,180 -76.2,180 -78,144 -78,108 -78,72 -78,36 -78,0 -78,-36 -78,-72 -78,-108 -78,-144 -78,-180 -78,-180 -76.2,-180 -74.4,-180 -72.6,-180 -70.8,-180 -69,-180 -67.2,-180 -65.4,-180 -63.6,-180 -61.8,-180 -60))"], "date_created": "Mon, 12 Dec 2022 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "Coastal Antarctic polynyas are regions with concentrated phytoplankton blooms, and therefore have important implications for marine ecosystems and the associated carbon cycles. Seasonal water-column stratification, regulated by sea ice, can modulate the exposure of phytoplankton to light and nutrients, and is one of the most important factors that control the duration and strength of algal blooms. Polynyas differ greatly in their stratification, thus are not equally productive in terms of phytoplankton biomass, nor equally vulnerable to the changes in regional climate. To date, most studies have been focusing on individual polynyas, yet a systematic assessment of stratification patterns across polynyas is still lacking. Therefore, we examined the spatial and seasonal variability of stratification in circum-Antarctic coastal polynyas. Using \u003e105 in situ hydrographic casts combined from the World Ocean Database (1970-2021) and the Marine Mammals Exploring the Oceans Pole to Pole Consortium Database (2004-2017), we constructed stratification seasonal climatology using 0-100 m Simpson Energy. Our results showed that stratification magnitude varies by a factor of 6 and its onset time displays 1-2 months difference across all the polynyas. In the presence of warmer water at depths, polynyas tend to develop stronger stratification than others. The spatial variations of stratification are negatively related to sea ice retreat rate and polynya size, indicative of distinct dynamics resulted from the interaction of sea ice melting, advection and water-column mixing.", "east": 180.0, "geometry": ["POINT(0 -89.999)"], "keywords": "Antarctic; Antarctica; Antarctic Coastal Polynyas; Polynya", "locations": "Antarctic Coastal Polynyas; Antarctic; Antarctica", "north": -60.0, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Integrated System Science", "persons": "Li, Yun; Shunk, Nathan; Zhang, Weifeng", "project_titles": "Collaborative Research: Polynyas in Coastal Antarctica (PICA): Linking Physical Dynamics to Biological Variability", "projects": [{"proj_uid": "p0010044", "repository": "USAP-DC", "title": "Collaborative Research: Polynyas in Coastal Antarctica (PICA): Linking Physical Dynamics to Biological Variability"}], "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": -78.0, "title": "Monthly Stratification Climatology (1978-2021) in Antarctic Coastal Polynyas", "uid": "601628", "west": -180.0}, {"awards": "1246463 Burns, Jennifer", "bounds_geometry": ["POLYGON((162 -75,162.6 -75,163.2 -75,163.8 -75,164.4 -75,165 -75,165.6 -75,166.2 -75,166.8 -75,167.4 -75,168 -75,168 -75.4,168 -75.8,168 -76.2,168 -76.6,168 -77,168 -77.4,168 -77.8,168 -78.2,168 -78.6,168 -79,167.4 -79,166.8 -79,166.2 -79,165.6 -79,165 -79,164.4 -79,163.8 -79,163.2 -79,162.6 -79,162 -79,162 -78.6,162 -78.2,162 -77.8,162 -77.4,162 -77,162 -76.6,162 -76.2,162 -75.8,162 -75.4,162 -75))"], "date_created": "Tue, 05 Jul 2022 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "The profound impacts that maternal provisioning of finite energy resources has on offspring survival have been extensively studied across mammals. However, in addition to calories, we tested whether high hemoprotein concentrations in diving mammals necessitates exceptional female-to-pup iron transfer. To answer this question adult female Weddell seals (Leptonychotes weddellii) were handled across the austral summer. This included post-partum females during lactation and post-weaning. To demonstrate that any observed changes in iron dynamics were due to lactation, equivalent skip-breeding females (i.e., that did not produce a pup) were also handled. We measured numerous indices of iron mobilization (ferritin, serum iron, total-iron-binding-capacity, transferrin saturation, milk iron concentration), hemoprotein concentrations, and oxygen stores.", "east": 168.0, "geometry": ["POINT(165 -77)"], "keywords": "Aerobic; Antarctica; Dive Capacity; Iron; McMurdo Sound; Weddell Seal", "locations": "Antarctica; McMurdo Sound", "north": -75.0, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Organisms and Ecosystems", "persons": "Shero, Michelle", "project_titles": "Collaborative Research: Physiological and Genetic Correlates of Reproductive Success in High- versus Low-Quality Weddell seals; The Cost of A New Fur Coat: Interactions between Molt and Reproduction in Weddell Seals", "projects": [{"proj_uid": "p0000229", "repository": "USAP-DC", "title": "The Cost of A New Fur Coat: Interactions between Molt and Reproduction in Weddell Seals"}, {"proj_uid": "p0010369", "repository": "USAP-DC", "title": "Collaborative Research: Physiological and Genetic Correlates of Reproductive Success in High- versus Low-Quality Weddell seals"}], "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": -79.0, "title": "Weddell seal iron dynamics and oxygen stores across lactation", "uid": "601587", "west": 162.0}, {"awards": "1321782 Costa, Daniel", "bounds_geometry": ["POLYGON((-180 -60,-144 -60,-108 -60,-72 -60,-36 -60,0 -60,36 -60,72 -60,108 -60,144 -60,180 -60,180 -63,180 -66,180 -69,180 -72,180 -75,180 -78,180 -81,180 -84,180 -87,180 -90,144 -90,108 -90,72 -90,36 -90,0 -90,-36 -90,-72 -90,-108 -90,-144 -90,-180 -90,-180 -87,-180 -84,-180 -81,-180 -78,-180 -75,-180 -72,-180 -69,-180 -66,-180 -63,-180 -60))"], "date_created": "Thu, 01 Jan 2015 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "Identifying the basic habitat requirements of Antarctic predators is fundamental to understanding how they will respond to the human-induced challenges of commercial fisheries and climate change. This understanding can only be achieved if the underlying linkages to physical processes are related to animal movements. As part of the international Retrospective Analysis of Antarctic Tracking Data (RAATD) organized by the SCAR Expert Group of Birds and Marine Mammals, this research will collate and synthesize tracking data from crabeater seals, Lobodon carcinophagus, and Weddell seals, Leptonychotes weddelli. These data will be combined with all available data from the Southern Ocean that has been collected by researchers from Norway, United Kingdom, Germany, Australia and the USA. These data will be analyzed using a common analytical approach and synthesized into a synoptic view of these two species across the Southern Ocean. The diving and movement patterns will be examined for each species. As well, the total home range and core habitat utilization patterns for each species and region will be determined. This study will develop global habitat maps for each species based on physical and biological attributes of their \u0027hot-spots\u0027 and then overlay all the species specific maps to identify multi-species areas of ecological significance. Broader impacts include support and training for a postdoctoral scholar, the production of a publicly available database and the participation in an international data synthesis effort.\n", "east": 180.0, "geometry": ["POINT(0 -89.999)"], "keywords": "Animal Tracking; Antarctica; Biota; Oceans; Sample/collection Description; Sample/Collection Description; Seals; Southern Ocean", "locations": "Southern Ocean; Antarctica", "north": -60.0, "nsf_funding_programs": null, "persons": "Costa, Daniel", "project_titles": "Retrospective Analysis of Antarctic Tracking data (RAATD): International Crabeater and Weddell Seal Tracking Data Sets", "projects": [{"proj_uid": "p0000346", "repository": "USAP-DC", "title": "Retrospective Analysis of Antarctic Tracking data (RAATD): International Crabeater and Weddell Seal Tracking Data Sets"}], "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": -90.0, "title": "Retrospective Analysis of Antarctic Tracking data (RAATD): International Crabeater and Weddell Seal Tracking Data Sets", "uid": "600137", "west": -180.0}, {"awards": "0838937 Costa, Daniel", "bounds_geometry": ["POLYGON((162 -75,162.7 -75,163.4 -75,164.1 -75,164.8 -75,165.5 -75,166.2 -75,166.9 -75,167.6 -75,168.3 -75,169 -75,169 -75.3,169 -75.6,169 -75.9,169 -76.2,169 -76.5,169 -76.8,169 -77.1,169 -77.4,169 -77.7,169 -78,168.3 -78,167.6 -78,166.9 -78,166.2 -78,165.5 -78,164.8 -78,164.1 -78,163.4 -78,162.7 -78,162 -78,162 -77.7,162 -77.4,162 -77.1,162 -76.8,162 -76.5,162 -76.2,162 -75.9,162 -75.6,162 -75.3,162 -75))"], "date_created": "Wed, 01 Jan 2014 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "Marine mammals of the Southern Ocean have evolved diverse life history patterns and foraging strategies to accommodate extreme fluctuations in the physical and biological environment. In light of ongoing climate change and the dramatic shifts in the extent and persistence of sea ice in the Ross Sea, it is critical to understand how Weddell seals, Leptonychotes weddellii, a key apex predator, select and utilize foraging habitats. Recent advances in satellite-linked animal-borne conductivity, temperature and depth (CTD) tags make it possible to simultaneously collect data on seal locations, their diving patterns, and the temperature and salinity profiles of the water columns they utilize. In other ecosystems, such data have revealed that marine predators selectively forage in areas where currents and fronts serve to locally concentrate prey resources, and that these conditions are required to sustain populations. Weddell seals will be studied in McMurdo Sound and at Terra Nova Bay, Ross Sea and will provide the first new data on Weddell seal winter diving behavior and habitat use in almost two decades. The relationship between an animal\u0027s diving behavior and physical habitat has enormous potential to enhance monitoring studies and to provide insight into how changes in ice conditions (due either to warming or the impact of large icebergs, such as B15) might impact individual time budgets and foraging success. The second thrust of this project is to use the profiles obtained from CTD seal tags to model the physical oceanography of this region. Current mathematical models of physical oceanographic processes in the Southern Ocean are directed at better understanding the role that it plays in global climate processes, and the linkages between physical and biological oceanographic processes. However, these efforts are limited by the scarcity of oceanographic data at high latitudes in the winter months; CTD tags deployed on animals will collect data at sufficient spatial and temporal resolution to improve data density. The project will contribute to two IPY endorsed initiatives: MEOP (Marine Mammals as Explorers of the Ocean Pole to Pole) and CAML (Census of Antarctic Marine Life). In addition, the highly visual nature of the data and analysis lends itself to public and educational display and outreach, particularly as they relate to global climate change, and we have collaborations with undergraduate and graduate training programs, the Seymour Marine Discovery Center, and the ARMADA program to foster these broader impacts.\n", "east": 169.0, "geometry": ["POINT(165.5 -76.5)"], "keywords": "Antarctica; Biota; Oceans; Ross Sea; Southern Ocean", "locations": "Antarctica; Southern Ocean; Ross Sea", "north": -75.0, "nsf_funding_programs": null, "persons": "Costa, Daniel", "project_titles": "Collaborative Research: Weddell seals as autonomous sensors of the winter oceanography of the Ross Sea", "projects": [{"proj_uid": "p0000661", "repository": "USAP-DC", "title": "Collaborative Research: Weddell seals as autonomous sensors of the winter oceanography of the Ross Sea"}], "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": -78.0, "title": "Weddell seals as autonomous sensors of the winter oceanography of the Ross Sea", "uid": "600025", "west": 162.0}, {"awards": "0838892 Burns, Jennifer", "bounds_geometry": ["POLYGON((162 -75,162.7 -75,163.4 -75,164.1 -75,164.8 -75,165.5 -75,166.2 -75,166.9 -75,167.6 -75,168.3 -75,169 -75,169 -75.3,169 -75.6,169 -75.9,169 -76.2,169 -76.5,169 -76.8,169 -77.1,169 -77.4,169 -77.7,169 -78,168.3 -78,167.6 -78,166.9 -78,166.2 -78,165.5 -78,164.8 -78,164.1 -78,163.4 -78,162.7 -78,162 -78,162 -77.7,162 -77.4,162 -77.1,162 -76.8,162 -76.5,162 -76.2,162 -75.9,162 -75.6,162 -75.3,162 -75))"], "date_created": "Tue, 01 Jan 2013 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "Marine mammals of the Southern Ocean have evolved diverse life history patterns and foraging strategies to accommodate extreme fluctuations in the physical and biological environment. In light of ongoing climate change and the dramatic shifts in the extent and persistence of sea ice in the Ross Sea, it is critical to understand how Weddell seals, Leptonychotes weddellii, a key apex predator, select and utilize foraging habitats. Recent advances in satellite-linked animal-borne conductivity, temperature and depth (CTD) tags make it possible to simultaneously collect data on seal locations, their diving patterns, and the temperature and salinity profiles of the water columns they utilize. In other ecosystems, such data have revealed that marine predators selectively forage in areas where currents and fronts serve to locally concentrate prey resources, and that these conditions are required to sustain populations. Weddell seals will be studied in McMurdo Sound and at Terra Nova Bay, Ross Sea and will provide the first new data on Weddell seal winter diving behavior and habitat use in almost two decades. The relationship between an animal\u0027s diving behavior and physical habitat has enormous potential to enhance monitoring studies and to provide insight into how changes in ice conditions (due either to warming or the impact of large icebergs, such as B15) might impact individual time budgets and foraging success. The second thrust of this project is to use the profiles obtained from CTD seal tags to model the physical oceanography of this region. Current mathematical models of physical oceanographic processes in the Southern Ocean are directed at better understanding the role that it plays in global climate processes, and the linkages between physical and biological oceanographic processes. However, these efforts are limited by the scarcity of oceanographic data at high latitudes in the winter months; CTD tags deployed on animals will collect data at sufficient spatial and temporal resolution to improve data density. The project will contribute to two IPY endorsed initiatives: MEOP (Marine Mammals as Explorers of the Ocean Pole to Pole) and CAML (Census of Antarctic Marine Life). In addition, the highly visual nature of the data and analysis lends itself to public and educational display and outreach, particularly as they relate to global climate change, and we have collaborations with undergraduate and graduate training programs, the Seymour Marine Discovery Center, and the ARMADA program to foster these broader impacts.", "east": 169.0, "geometry": ["POINT(165.5 -76.5)"], "keywords": "Biota; Oceans; Ross Sea; Seals; Southern Ocean", "locations": "Southern Ocean; Ross Sea", "north": -75.0, "nsf_funding_programs": null, "persons": "Burns, Jennifer", "project_titles": "Collaborative Research: Weddell seals as autonomous sensors of the winter oceanography of the Ross Sea", "projects": [{"proj_uid": "p0000661", "repository": "USAP-DC", "title": "Collaborative Research: Weddell seals as autonomous sensors of the winter oceanography of the Ross Sea"}], "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": -78.0, "title": "Weddell seals as autonomous sensors of the winter oceanography of the Ross Sea", "uid": "600101", "west": 162.0}, {"awards": "1043779 Mellish, Jo-Ann", "bounds_geometry": ["POLYGON((165.83333 -77.51528,165.923331 -77.51528,166.013332 -77.51528,166.103333 -77.51528,166.193334 -77.51528,166.283335 -77.51528,166.373336 -77.51528,166.463337 -77.51528,166.553338 -77.51528,166.643339 -77.51528,166.73334 -77.51528,166.73334 -77.55153,166.73334 -77.58778,166.73334 -77.62403,166.73334 -77.66028,166.73334 -77.69653,166.73334 -77.73278,166.73334 -77.76903,166.73334 -77.80528,166.73334 -77.84153,166.73334 -77.87778,166.643339 -77.87778,166.553338 -77.87778,166.463337 -77.87778,166.373336 -77.87778,166.283335 -77.87778,166.193334 -77.87778,166.103333 -77.87778,166.013332 -77.87778,165.923331 -77.87778,165.83333 -77.87778,165.83333 -77.84153,165.83333 -77.80528,165.83333 -77.76903,165.83333 -77.73278,165.83333 -77.69653,165.83333 -77.66028,165.83333 -77.62403,165.83333 -77.58778,165.83333 -77.55153,165.83333 -77.51528))"], "date_created": "Tue, 01 Jan 2013 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "Despite being an essential physiological component of homeotherm life in polar regions, little is known about the energetic requirements for thermoregulation in either air or water for high- latitude seals. In a joint field and modeling study, the principal investigators will quantify these costs for the Weddell seal under both ambient air and water conditions. The field research will include innovative heat flux, digestive and locomotor cost telemetry on 40 free-ranging seals combined with assessments of animal health (morphometrics, hematology and clinical chemistry panels), quantity (ultrasound) and quality (tissue biopsy) of blubber insulation, and determination of surface skin temperature patterns (infrared thermography). Field-collected data will be combined with an established individual based computational energetics model to define cost-added thresholds in body condition for different body masses. This study will fill a major knowledge gap by providing data essential to modeling all aspects of pinniped life history, in particular for ice seals. Such parameterization of energetic cost components will be essential for the accurate modeling of responses by pinnipeds to environmental variance, including direct and indirect effects driven by climate change. The study also will provide extensive opportunities in polar field work, animal telemetry, biochemical analyses and computational modeling for up to three undergraduate students and one post-doctoral researcher. Integrated education and outreach efforts will educate the public (K-12 through adult) on the importance of quantifying energetic costs of thermoregulation for marine mammals and the need to understand responses of species to environmental variance. This effort will include a custom-built, interactive hands-on mobile exhibit, and development of content for an Ocean Today kiosk.\n", "east": 166.73334, "geometry": ["POINT(166.283335 -77.69653)"], "keywords": "Antarctica; Biota; Oceans; Ross Sea; Sea Ice; Seals; Sea Surface; Southern Ocean", "locations": "Southern Ocean; Antarctica; Ross Sea; Sea Surface", "north": -77.51528, "nsf_funding_programs": null, "persons": "Mellish, Jo-Ann", "project_titles": "Collaborative Research: THERMOREGULATION IN FREE-LIVING ANTARCTIC SEALS: THE MISSING LINK IN EFFECTIVE ECOLOGICAL MODELING", "projects": [{"proj_uid": "p0000343", "repository": "USAP-DC", "title": "Collaborative Research: THERMOREGULATION IN FREE-LIVING ANTARCTIC SEALS: THE MISSING LINK IN EFFECTIVE ECOLOGICAL MODELING"}], "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": -77.87778, "title": "Thermoregulation in Free-Living Antarctic Seals: The Missing Link in Effective Ecological Modeling", "uid": "600130", "west": 165.83333}, {"awards": "0440687 Costa, Daniel", "bounds_geometry": ["POLYGON((-64 -60,-63 -60,-62 -60,-61 -60,-60 -60,-59 -60,-58 -60,-57 -60,-56 -60,-55 -60,-54 -60,-54 -60.4,-54 -60.8,-54 -61.2,-54 -61.6,-54 -62,-54 -62.4,-54 -62.8,-54 -63.2,-54 -63.6,-54 -64,-55 -64,-56 -64,-57 -64,-58 -64,-59 -64,-60 -64,-61 -64,-62 -64,-63 -64,-64 -64,-64 -63.6,-64 -63.2,-64 -62.8,-64 -62.4,-64 -62,-64 -61.6,-64 -61.2,-64 -60.8,-64 -60.4,-64 -60))"], "date_created": "Fri, 01 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "As long-lived animals, marine mammals must be capable of accommodating broad variations in food resources over large spatial and temporal scales. While this is true of all marine mammals, variation in the physical and biological environmental is particularly profound in the Southern Ocean. A basic understanding of the foraging behavior and habitat utilization of pelagic predators requires knowledge of this spatial and temporal variation, coupled with information of how they respond to these changes. Current understanding of these associations is primarily limited to population level studies where animal abundance has been correlated with oceanography. Although these studies are informative, they cannot provide insights into the strategies employed by individual animals nor can they provide insights into the spatial or temporal course of these interactions. Recent technological advances in instrumentation make it possible to extend an understanding beyond the simple linkage of prey and predator distributions with environmental features. The key to understanding the processes that lead to high predator abundance is the identification of the specific foraging behaviors associated with different features of the water column. This study will accomplish these objectives by combining accurate positional data, measures of diving and foraging behavior, animal-derived water-column temperature and salinity data, and available oceanographic data. This project will examine the foraging behavior and habitat utilization of two species of contrasting foraging ecology, the southern elephant seal, Mirounga leonina, and the crabeater seal, Lobodon carcinophagus in the Western Antarctic Peninsula, a region of strong environmental gradients. Although these two species are phylogenetically related, they utilize substantially different but adjacent habitat types. Southern elephant seals are predominantly pelagic, moving throughout the southern ocean, venturing occasionally into the seasonal pack ice whereas crabeater seals range throughout the seasonal pack ice, venturing occasionally into open water. The relationship of specific foraging behaviors and animal movement patterns to oceanographic and bathymetric features develop and test models of the importance of these features in defining habitat use will be determined along with a comparison of how individuals of each species respond to annual variability in the marine environment. The physical oceanography of the Southern Ocean is inherently complex as are the biological processes that are intrinsically linked to oceanographic processes. Significant resources are currently being directed toward developing mathematical models of physical oceanographic processes with the goals of better understanding the role that the Southern Ocean plays in global climate processes, predicting the responses of ocean and global scale processes to climate change, and understanding the linkages between physical and biological oceanographic processes. These efforts have been limited by the scarcity of oceanographic data in the region, especially at high latitudes in the winter months. This study will provide new and significant oceanographic data on temperature and salinity profiles in to further the understanding of the dynamics of the upper water column of west Antarctic Peninsula continental shelf waters. Outreach activities include website development and an association with a marine education program at the Monterrey Bay Aquarium Research Institute.\n", "east": -54.0, "geometry": ["POINT(-59 -62)"], "keywords": "Bellingshausen Sea; Biota; Oceans; Seals; Southern Ocean", "locations": "Southern Ocean; Bellingshausen Sea", "north": -60.0, "nsf_funding_programs": null, "persons": "Klinck, John M.; Crocker, Daniel; Goebel, Michael; Hofmann, Eileen; Costa, Daniel", "project_titles": "Habitat Utilization of Southern Ocean Seals: Foraging Behavior of Crabeater and Elephant Seals Using Novel Methods of Oceanographic Data Collection", "projects": [{"proj_uid": "p0000082", "repository": "USAP-DC", "title": "Habitat Utilization of Southern Ocean Seals: Foraging Behavior of Crabeater and Elephant Seals Using Novel Methods of Oceanographic Data Collection"}], "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": -64.0, "title": "Habitat Utilization of Southern Ocean Seals: Foraging Behavior of Crabeater and Elephant Seals Using Novel Methods of Oceanographic Data Collection", "uid": "600044", "west": -64.0}, {"awards": "0840375 Costa, Daniel", "bounds_geometry": ["POLYGON((-64 -60,-63 -60,-62 -60,-61 -60,-60 -60,-59 -60,-58 -60,-57 -60,-56 -60,-55 -60,-54 -60,-54 -60.4,-54 -60.8,-54 -61.2,-54 -61.6,-54 -62,-54 -62.4,-54 -62.8,-54 -63.2,-54 -63.6,-54 -64,-55 -64,-56 -64,-57 -64,-58 -64,-59 -64,-60 -64,-61 -64,-62 -64,-63 -64,-64 -64,-64 -63.6,-64 -63.2,-64 -62.8,-64 -62.4,-64 -62,-64 -61.6,-64 -61.2,-64 -60.8,-64 -60.4,-64 -60))"], "date_created": "Fri, 01 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "Long-lived animals such as elephant seals may endure variation in food resources over large spatial and temporal scales. Understanding how they respond to these fluctuations requires knowledge of how their foraging behavior and habitat utilization varies over time. Advances in satellite-linked data logging have made it possible to correlate the foraging behavior of marine mammals with their physical and chemical environment and provide insight into the mechanisms controlling at-sea movements, foraging behavior and, ultimately, reproductive success of these pelagic predators. In addition, these technological advances enable marine mammals to be used as highly cost-effective platforms from which detailed oceanographic data can be collected on a scale not possible with conventional methods. The project will extend the four-year-time-series collected on the foraging behavior and habitat utilization of southern elephant seal (Mirounga leonina) foraging in the Western Antarctic Peninsula. It also will extend the oceanographic time-series of CTD profiles collected by the elephant seals foraging from the Livingston Island rookery. Seals have been collecting CTD profiles in the vicinity of the Wilkins Ice Shelf (WIS) since 2005. We thus have a 4 year data set that preceding and during the breakup of the WIS that occurred during March 2008. Deployment of additional tags on seals will provide a unique opportunity to collect oceanographic data after the ice shelf has collapsed.", "east": -54.0, "geometry": ["POINT(-59 -62)"], "keywords": "Biota; CTD Data; Oceans; Physical Oceanography; Seals; Southern Ocean", "locations": "Southern Ocean", "north": -60.0, "nsf_funding_programs": null, "persons": "Goebel, Michael; Costa, Daniel", "project_titles": "SGER: Foraging Patterns of Elephant Seals in the Vicinity of the WIlkins Ice Shelf", "projects": [{"proj_uid": "p0000158", "repository": "USAP-DC", "title": "SGER: Foraging Patterns of Elephant Seals in the Vicinity of the WIlkins Ice Shelf"}], "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": -64.0, "title": "SGER: Foraging Patterns of Elephant Seals in the Vicinity of the WIlkins Ice Shelf", "uid": "600108", "west": -64.0}]
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Dataset Title/Abstract/Map | NSF Award(s) | Date Created | PIs / Scientists | Project Links | Abstract | Bounds Geometry | Geometry | Selected | Visible |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Bird, Mammal, Plankton, Oceanographic data, South Georgia, July 2023
|
2011454 |
2025-02-10 | Manne, Lisa; Veit, Richard; Santora, Jarrod; Czapanskiy, Max |
Collaborative Research: Climate, Changing Abundance and Species Interactions of Marine Birds and Mammals at South Georgia in Winter |
Birds and mammals sighted along transect surveys around South Georgia, and maps of their distributions. Associated plankton and oceanographic data. | ["POLYGON((-39 -53.5,-38.6 -53.5,-38.2 -53.5,-37.8 -53.5,-37.4 -53.5,-37 -53.5,-36.6 -53.5,-36.2 -53.5,-35.8 -53.5,-35.4 -53.5,-35 -53.5,-35 -53.65,-35 -53.8,-35 -53.95,-35 -54.1,-35 -54.25,-35 -54.4,-35 -54.55,-35 -54.7,-35 -54.85,-35 -55,-35.4 -55,-35.8 -55,-36.2 -55,-36.6 -55,-37 -55,-37.4 -55,-37.8 -55,-38.2 -55,-38.6 -55,-39 -55,-39 -54.85,-39 -54.7,-39 -54.55,-39 -54.4,-39 -54.25,-39 -54.1,-39 -53.95,-39 -53.8,-39 -53.65,-39 -53.5))"] | ["POINT(-37 -54.25)"] | false | false |
Weddell seal dive behavior and rhythmicity from 2010-2012 in the Ross Sea
|
1853377 0838937 0838892 |
2024-09-20 | Shero, Michelle |
Collaborative Research: Weddell seals as autonomous sensors of the winter oceanography of the Ross Sea Collaborative Research: Physiological and Genetic Correlates of Reproductive Success in High- versus Low-Quality Weddell seals |
Diel vertical migrations (DVM) have been well-documented across numerous taxa, with prey descend through the water column during daylight hours to avoid visual predators and feed at the surface at night. However, the ability of marine mammals such as Weddell seals (Leptonychotes weddellii) to follow prey to depths is likely constrained by limited breath-hold capacities and the physiological consequences of pushing aerobic thresholds. In particular, dives that exceed the aerobic dive limit require exponentially longer surface recuperation times to clear lactate byproducts from circulation. This is time that the animals then cannot spend foraging. In this study, we assess the circadian organization of the Weddell seal's dive efforts and when animals make their longest/deepest (most 'extreme') dives that far exceed aerobic thresholds. Sixty-two adult Weddell seals were instrumented with satellite linked relay loggers in the Ross Sea to collect behavioral information across the austral winter. Daily activities are likely to shift across the year in a highly-seasonal polar environment, and through this 'natural experiment' we test how free-ranging seals alter foraging behavior during Polar Day and Night (continuous light, LL and dark, DD, respectively) and varying light/dark (LD) cycling across the year. | ["POLYGON((-180 -72,-179.8 -72,-179.6 -72,-179.4 -72,-179.2 -72,-179 -72,-178.8 -72,-178.6 -72,-178.4 -72,-178.2 -72,-178 -72,-178 -72.7,-178 -73.4,-178 -74.1,-178 -74.8,-178 -75.5,-178 -76.2,-178 -76.9,-178 -77.6,-178 -78.3,-178 -79,-178.2 -79,-178.4 -79,-178.6 -79,-178.8 -79,-179 -79,-179.2 -79,-179.4 -79,-179.6 -79,-179.8 -79,180 -79,178.2 -79,176.4 -79,174.6 -79,172.8 -79,171 -79,169.2 -79,167.4 -79,165.6 -79,163.8 -79,162 -79,162 -78.3,162 -77.6,162 -76.9,162 -76.2,162 -75.5,162 -74.8,162 -74.1,162 -73.4,162 -72.7,162 -72,163.8 -72,165.6 -72,167.4 -72,169.2 -72,171 -72,172.8 -72,174.6 -72,176.4 -72,178.2 -72,-180 -72))"] | ["POINT(172 -75.5)"] | false | false |
Winter marine communities of the Antarctic Peninsula
|
2011285 |
2024-05-28 | Santora, Jarrod; Reiss, Christian; Dietrich, Kim; Czapanskiy, Max |
Collaborative Research: Climate, Changing Abundance and Species Interactions of Marine Birds and Mammals at South Georgia in Winter |
Winter survey data from the Antarctic Peninsula (including hydrography, zooplankton, and top predators) conducted from the R/V Nathaniel B. Palmer during the austral winter (August-September) of 2012-2016. Survey stations were selected from the U.S. Antarctic Marine Living Resources Program's standard grid, approximately 15-20 nm apart covering the region 60° to 64° S and 54° to 63° W. At each station, hydrography and chlorophyll measurements were collected with CTD profilers and Niskin bottles, and macrozooplankton samples were collected using an Isaacs-Kidd Midwater Trawl. Between stations, observers recorded abundance and behavior of top predators (seabirds and marine mammals). | ["POLYGON((-63 -60,-62.1 -60,-61.2 -60,-60.3 -60,-59.4 -60,-58.5 -60,-57.6 -60,-56.7 -60,-55.8 -60,-54.9 -60,-54 -60,-54 -60.4,-54 -60.8,-54 -61.2,-54 -61.6,-54 -62,-54 -62.4,-54 -62.8,-54 -63.2,-54 -63.6,-54 -64,-54.9 -64,-55.8 -64,-56.7 -64,-57.6 -64,-58.5 -64,-59.4 -64,-60.3 -64,-61.2 -64,-62.1 -64,-63 -64,-63 -63.6,-63 -63.2,-63 -62.8,-63 -62.4,-63 -62,-63 -61.6,-63 -61.2,-63 -60.8,-63 -60.4,-63 -60))"] | ["POINT(-58.5 -62)"] | false | false |
Monthly Stratification Climatology (1978-2021) in Antarctic Coastal Polynyas
|
2021245 1643735 |
2022-12-12 | Li, Yun; Shunk, Nathan; Zhang, Weifeng |
Collaborative Research: Polynyas in Coastal Antarctica (PICA): Linking Physical Dynamics to Biological Variability |
Coastal Antarctic polynyas are regions with concentrated phytoplankton blooms, and therefore have important implications for marine ecosystems and the associated carbon cycles. Seasonal water-column stratification, regulated by sea ice, can modulate the exposure of phytoplankton to light and nutrients, and is one of the most important factors that control the duration and strength of algal blooms. Polynyas differ greatly in their stratification, thus are not equally productive in terms of phytoplankton biomass, nor equally vulnerable to the changes in regional climate. To date, most studies have been focusing on individual polynyas, yet a systematic assessment of stratification patterns across polynyas is still lacking. Therefore, we examined the spatial and seasonal variability of stratification in circum-Antarctic coastal polynyas. Using >105 in situ hydrographic casts combined from the World Ocean Database (1970-2021) and the Marine Mammals Exploring the Oceans Pole to Pole Consortium Database (2004-2017), we constructed stratification seasonal climatology using 0-100 m Simpson Energy. Our results showed that stratification magnitude varies by a factor of 6 and its onset time displays 1-2 months difference across all the polynyas. In the presence of warmer water at depths, polynyas tend to develop stronger stratification than others. The spatial variations of stratification are negatively related to sea ice retreat rate and polynya size, indicative of distinct dynamics resulted from the interaction of sea ice melting, advection and water-column mixing. | ["POLYGON((-180 -60,-144 -60,-108 -60,-72 -60,-36 -60,0 -60,36 -60,72 -60,108 -60,144 -60,180 -60,180 -61.8,180 -63.6,180 -65.4,180 -67.2,180 -69,180 -70.8,180 -72.6,180 -74.4,180 -76.2,180 -78,144 -78,108 -78,72 -78,36 -78,0 -78,-36 -78,-72 -78,-108 -78,-144 -78,-180 -78,-180 -76.2,-180 -74.4,-180 -72.6,-180 -70.8,-180 -69,-180 -67.2,-180 -65.4,-180 -63.6,-180 -61.8,-180 -60))"] | ["POINT(0 -89.999)"] | false | false |
Weddell seal iron dynamics and oxygen stores across lactation
|
1246463 |
2022-07-05 | Shero, Michelle |
The Cost of A New Fur Coat: Interactions between Molt and Reproduction in Weddell Seals Collaborative Research: Physiological and Genetic Correlates of Reproductive Success in High- versus Low-Quality Weddell seals |
The profound impacts that maternal provisioning of finite energy resources has on offspring survival have been extensively studied across mammals. However, in addition to calories, we tested whether high hemoprotein concentrations in diving mammals necessitates exceptional female-to-pup iron transfer. To answer this question adult female Weddell seals (Leptonychotes weddellii) were handled across the austral summer. This included post-partum females during lactation and post-weaning. To demonstrate that any observed changes in iron dynamics were due to lactation, equivalent skip-breeding females (i.e., that did not produce a pup) were also handled. We measured numerous indices of iron mobilization (ferritin, serum iron, total-iron-binding-capacity, transferrin saturation, milk iron concentration), hemoprotein concentrations, and oxygen stores. | ["POLYGON((162 -75,162.6 -75,163.2 -75,163.8 -75,164.4 -75,165 -75,165.6 -75,166.2 -75,166.8 -75,167.4 -75,168 -75,168 -75.4,168 -75.8,168 -76.2,168 -76.6,168 -77,168 -77.4,168 -77.8,168 -78.2,168 -78.6,168 -79,167.4 -79,166.8 -79,166.2 -79,165.6 -79,165 -79,164.4 -79,163.8 -79,163.2 -79,162.6 -79,162 -79,162 -78.6,162 -78.2,162 -77.8,162 -77.4,162 -77,162 -76.6,162 -76.2,162 -75.8,162 -75.4,162 -75))"] | ["POINT(165 -77)"] | false | false |
Retrospective Analysis of Antarctic Tracking data (RAATD): International Crabeater and Weddell Seal Tracking Data Sets
|
1321782 |
2015-01-01 | Costa, Daniel |
Retrospective Analysis of Antarctic Tracking data (RAATD): International Crabeater and Weddell Seal Tracking Data Sets |
Identifying the basic habitat requirements of Antarctic predators is fundamental to understanding how they will respond to the human-induced challenges of commercial fisheries and climate change. This understanding can only be achieved if the underlying linkages to physical processes are related to animal movements. As part of the international Retrospective Analysis of Antarctic Tracking Data (RAATD) organized by the SCAR Expert Group of Birds and Marine Mammals, this research will collate and synthesize tracking data from crabeater seals, Lobodon carcinophagus, and Weddell seals, Leptonychotes weddelli. These data will be combined with all available data from the Southern Ocean that has been collected by researchers from Norway, United Kingdom, Germany, Australia and the USA. These data will be analyzed using a common analytical approach and synthesized into a synoptic view of these two species across the Southern Ocean. The diving and movement patterns will be examined for each species. As well, the total home range and core habitat utilization patterns for each species and region will be determined. This study will develop global habitat maps for each species based on physical and biological attributes of their 'hot-spots' and then overlay all the species specific maps to identify multi-species areas of ecological significance. Broader impacts include support and training for a postdoctoral scholar, the production of a publicly available database and the participation in an international data synthesis effort. | ["POLYGON((-180 -60,-144 -60,-108 -60,-72 -60,-36 -60,0 -60,36 -60,72 -60,108 -60,144 -60,180 -60,180 -63,180 -66,180 -69,180 -72,180 -75,180 -78,180 -81,180 -84,180 -87,180 -90,144 -90,108 -90,72 -90,36 -90,0 -90,-36 -90,-72 -90,-108 -90,-144 -90,-180 -90,-180 -87,-180 -84,-180 -81,-180 -78,-180 -75,-180 -72,-180 -69,-180 -66,-180 -63,-180 -60))"] | ["POINT(0 -89.999)"] | false | false |
Weddell seals as autonomous sensors of the winter oceanography of the Ross Sea
|
0838937 |
2014-01-01 | Costa, Daniel |
Collaborative Research: Weddell seals as autonomous sensors of the winter oceanography of the Ross Sea |
Marine mammals of the Southern Ocean have evolved diverse life history patterns and foraging strategies to accommodate extreme fluctuations in the physical and biological environment. In light of ongoing climate change and the dramatic shifts in the extent and persistence of sea ice in the Ross Sea, it is critical to understand how Weddell seals, Leptonychotes weddellii, a key apex predator, select and utilize foraging habitats. Recent advances in satellite-linked animal-borne conductivity, temperature and depth (CTD) tags make it possible to simultaneously collect data on seal locations, their diving patterns, and the temperature and salinity profiles of the water columns they utilize. In other ecosystems, such data have revealed that marine predators selectively forage in areas where currents and fronts serve to locally concentrate prey resources, and that these conditions are required to sustain populations. Weddell seals will be studied in McMurdo Sound and at Terra Nova Bay, Ross Sea and will provide the first new data on Weddell seal winter diving behavior and habitat use in almost two decades. The relationship between an animal's diving behavior and physical habitat has enormous potential to enhance monitoring studies and to provide insight into how changes in ice conditions (due either to warming or the impact of large icebergs, such as B15) might impact individual time budgets and foraging success. The second thrust of this project is to use the profiles obtained from CTD seal tags to model the physical oceanography of this region. Current mathematical models of physical oceanographic processes in the Southern Ocean are directed at better understanding the role that it plays in global climate processes, and the linkages between physical and biological oceanographic processes. However, these efforts are limited by the scarcity of oceanographic data at high latitudes in the winter months; CTD tags deployed on animals will collect data at sufficient spatial and temporal resolution to improve data density. The project will contribute to two IPY endorsed initiatives: MEOP (Marine Mammals as Explorers of the Ocean Pole to Pole) and CAML (Census of Antarctic Marine Life). In addition, the highly visual nature of the data and analysis lends itself to public and educational display and outreach, particularly as they relate to global climate change, and we have collaborations with undergraduate and graduate training programs, the Seymour Marine Discovery Center, and the ARMADA program to foster these broader impacts. | ["POLYGON((162 -75,162.7 -75,163.4 -75,164.1 -75,164.8 -75,165.5 -75,166.2 -75,166.9 -75,167.6 -75,168.3 -75,169 -75,169 -75.3,169 -75.6,169 -75.9,169 -76.2,169 -76.5,169 -76.8,169 -77.1,169 -77.4,169 -77.7,169 -78,168.3 -78,167.6 -78,166.9 -78,166.2 -78,165.5 -78,164.8 -78,164.1 -78,163.4 -78,162.7 -78,162 -78,162 -77.7,162 -77.4,162 -77.1,162 -76.8,162 -76.5,162 -76.2,162 -75.9,162 -75.6,162 -75.3,162 -75))"] | ["POINT(165.5 -76.5)"] | false | false |
Weddell seals as autonomous sensors of the winter oceanography of the Ross Sea
|
0838892 |
2013-01-01 | Burns, Jennifer |
Collaborative Research: Weddell seals as autonomous sensors of the winter oceanography of the Ross Sea |
Marine mammals of the Southern Ocean have evolved diverse life history patterns and foraging strategies to accommodate extreme fluctuations in the physical and biological environment. In light of ongoing climate change and the dramatic shifts in the extent and persistence of sea ice in the Ross Sea, it is critical to understand how Weddell seals, Leptonychotes weddellii, a key apex predator, select and utilize foraging habitats. Recent advances in satellite-linked animal-borne conductivity, temperature and depth (CTD) tags make it possible to simultaneously collect data on seal locations, their diving patterns, and the temperature and salinity profiles of the water columns they utilize. In other ecosystems, such data have revealed that marine predators selectively forage in areas where currents and fronts serve to locally concentrate prey resources, and that these conditions are required to sustain populations. Weddell seals will be studied in McMurdo Sound and at Terra Nova Bay, Ross Sea and will provide the first new data on Weddell seal winter diving behavior and habitat use in almost two decades. The relationship between an animal's diving behavior and physical habitat has enormous potential to enhance monitoring studies and to provide insight into how changes in ice conditions (due either to warming or the impact of large icebergs, such as B15) might impact individual time budgets and foraging success. The second thrust of this project is to use the profiles obtained from CTD seal tags to model the physical oceanography of this region. Current mathematical models of physical oceanographic processes in the Southern Ocean are directed at better understanding the role that it plays in global climate processes, and the linkages between physical and biological oceanographic processes. However, these efforts are limited by the scarcity of oceanographic data at high latitudes in the winter months; CTD tags deployed on animals will collect data at sufficient spatial and temporal resolution to improve data density. The project will contribute to two IPY endorsed initiatives: MEOP (Marine Mammals as Explorers of the Ocean Pole to Pole) and CAML (Census of Antarctic Marine Life). In addition, the highly visual nature of the data and analysis lends itself to public and educational display and outreach, particularly as they relate to global climate change, and we have collaborations with undergraduate and graduate training programs, the Seymour Marine Discovery Center, and the ARMADA program to foster these broader impacts. | ["POLYGON((162 -75,162.7 -75,163.4 -75,164.1 -75,164.8 -75,165.5 -75,166.2 -75,166.9 -75,167.6 -75,168.3 -75,169 -75,169 -75.3,169 -75.6,169 -75.9,169 -76.2,169 -76.5,169 -76.8,169 -77.1,169 -77.4,169 -77.7,169 -78,168.3 -78,167.6 -78,166.9 -78,166.2 -78,165.5 -78,164.8 -78,164.1 -78,163.4 -78,162.7 -78,162 -78,162 -77.7,162 -77.4,162 -77.1,162 -76.8,162 -76.5,162 -76.2,162 -75.9,162 -75.6,162 -75.3,162 -75))"] | ["POINT(165.5 -76.5)"] | false | false |
Thermoregulation in Free-Living Antarctic Seals: The Missing Link in Effective Ecological Modeling
|
1043779 |
2013-01-01 | Mellish, Jo-Ann |
Collaborative Research: THERMOREGULATION IN FREE-LIVING ANTARCTIC SEALS: THE MISSING LINK IN EFFECTIVE ECOLOGICAL MODELING |
Despite being an essential physiological component of homeotherm life in polar regions, little is known about the energetic requirements for thermoregulation in either air or water for high- latitude seals. In a joint field and modeling study, the principal investigators will quantify these costs for the Weddell seal under both ambient air and water conditions. The field research will include innovative heat flux, digestive and locomotor cost telemetry on 40 free-ranging seals combined with assessments of animal health (morphometrics, hematology and clinical chemistry panels), quantity (ultrasound) and quality (tissue biopsy) of blubber insulation, and determination of surface skin temperature patterns (infrared thermography). Field-collected data will be combined with an established individual based computational energetics model to define cost-added thresholds in body condition for different body masses. This study will fill a major knowledge gap by providing data essential to modeling all aspects of pinniped life history, in particular for ice seals. Such parameterization of energetic cost components will be essential for the accurate modeling of responses by pinnipeds to environmental variance, including direct and indirect effects driven by climate change. The study also will provide extensive opportunities in polar field work, animal telemetry, biochemical analyses and computational modeling for up to three undergraduate students and one post-doctoral researcher. Integrated education and outreach efforts will educate the public (K-12 through adult) on the importance of quantifying energetic costs of thermoregulation for marine mammals and the need to understand responses of species to environmental variance. This effort will include a custom-built, interactive hands-on mobile exhibit, and development of content for an Ocean Today kiosk. | ["POLYGON((165.83333 -77.51528,165.923331 -77.51528,166.013332 -77.51528,166.103333 -77.51528,166.193334 -77.51528,166.283335 -77.51528,166.373336 -77.51528,166.463337 -77.51528,166.553338 -77.51528,166.643339 -77.51528,166.73334 -77.51528,166.73334 -77.55153,166.73334 -77.58778,166.73334 -77.62403,166.73334 -77.66028,166.73334 -77.69653,166.73334 -77.73278,166.73334 -77.76903,166.73334 -77.80528,166.73334 -77.84153,166.73334 -77.87778,166.643339 -77.87778,166.553338 -77.87778,166.463337 -77.87778,166.373336 -77.87778,166.283335 -77.87778,166.193334 -77.87778,166.103333 -77.87778,166.013332 -77.87778,165.923331 -77.87778,165.83333 -77.87778,165.83333 -77.84153,165.83333 -77.80528,165.83333 -77.76903,165.83333 -77.73278,165.83333 -77.69653,165.83333 -77.66028,165.83333 -77.62403,165.83333 -77.58778,165.83333 -77.55153,165.83333 -77.51528))"] | ["POINT(166.283335 -77.69653)"] | false | false |
Habitat Utilization of Southern Ocean Seals: Foraging Behavior of Crabeater and Elephant Seals Using Novel Methods of Oceanographic Data Collection
|
0440687 |
2010-01-01 | Klinck, John M.; Crocker, Daniel; Goebel, Michael; Hofmann, Eileen; Costa, Daniel |
Habitat Utilization of Southern Ocean Seals: Foraging Behavior of Crabeater and Elephant Seals Using Novel Methods of Oceanographic Data Collection |
As long-lived animals, marine mammals must be capable of accommodating broad variations in food resources over large spatial and temporal scales. While this is true of all marine mammals, variation in the physical and biological environmental is particularly profound in the Southern Ocean. A basic understanding of the foraging behavior and habitat utilization of pelagic predators requires knowledge of this spatial and temporal variation, coupled with information of how they respond to these changes. Current understanding of these associations is primarily limited to population level studies where animal abundance has been correlated with oceanography. Although these studies are informative, they cannot provide insights into the strategies employed by individual animals nor can they provide insights into the spatial or temporal course of these interactions. Recent technological advances in instrumentation make it possible to extend an understanding beyond the simple linkage of prey and predator distributions with environmental features. The key to understanding the processes that lead to high predator abundance is the identification of the specific foraging behaviors associated with different features of the water column. This study will accomplish these objectives by combining accurate positional data, measures of diving and foraging behavior, animal-derived water-column temperature and salinity data, and available oceanographic data. This project will examine the foraging behavior and habitat utilization of two species of contrasting foraging ecology, the southern elephant seal, Mirounga leonina, and the crabeater seal, Lobodon carcinophagus in the Western Antarctic Peninsula, a region of strong environmental gradients. Although these two species are phylogenetically related, they utilize substantially different but adjacent habitat types. Southern elephant seals are predominantly pelagic, moving throughout the southern ocean, venturing occasionally into the seasonal pack ice whereas crabeater seals range throughout the seasonal pack ice, venturing occasionally into open water. The relationship of specific foraging behaviors and animal movement patterns to oceanographic and bathymetric features develop and test models of the importance of these features in defining habitat use will be determined along with a comparison of how individuals of each species respond to annual variability in the marine environment. The physical oceanography of the Southern Ocean is inherently complex as are the biological processes that are intrinsically linked to oceanographic processes. Significant resources are currently being directed toward developing mathematical models of physical oceanographic processes with the goals of better understanding the role that the Southern Ocean plays in global climate processes, predicting the responses of ocean and global scale processes to climate change, and understanding the linkages between physical and biological oceanographic processes. These efforts have been limited by the scarcity of oceanographic data in the region, especially at high latitudes in the winter months. This study will provide new and significant oceanographic data on temperature and salinity profiles in to further the understanding of the dynamics of the upper water column of west Antarctic Peninsula continental shelf waters. Outreach activities include website development and an association with a marine education program at the Monterrey Bay Aquarium Research Institute. | ["POLYGON((-64 -60,-63 -60,-62 -60,-61 -60,-60 -60,-59 -60,-58 -60,-57 -60,-56 -60,-55 -60,-54 -60,-54 -60.4,-54 -60.8,-54 -61.2,-54 -61.6,-54 -62,-54 -62.4,-54 -62.8,-54 -63.2,-54 -63.6,-54 -64,-55 -64,-56 -64,-57 -64,-58 -64,-59 -64,-60 -64,-61 -64,-62 -64,-63 -64,-64 -64,-64 -63.6,-64 -63.2,-64 -62.8,-64 -62.4,-64 -62,-64 -61.6,-64 -61.2,-64 -60.8,-64 -60.4,-64 -60))"] | ["POINT(-59 -62)"] | false | false |
SGER: Foraging Patterns of Elephant Seals in the Vicinity of the WIlkins Ice Shelf
|
0840375 |
2010-01-01 | Goebel, Michael; Costa, Daniel |
SGER: Foraging Patterns of Elephant Seals in the Vicinity of the WIlkins Ice Shelf |
Long-lived animals such as elephant seals may endure variation in food resources over large spatial and temporal scales. Understanding how they respond to these fluctuations requires knowledge of how their foraging behavior and habitat utilization varies over time. Advances in satellite-linked data logging have made it possible to correlate the foraging behavior of marine mammals with their physical and chemical environment and provide insight into the mechanisms controlling at-sea movements, foraging behavior and, ultimately, reproductive success of these pelagic predators. In addition, these technological advances enable marine mammals to be used as highly cost-effective platforms from which detailed oceanographic data can be collected on a scale not possible with conventional methods. The project will extend the four-year-time-series collected on the foraging behavior and habitat utilization of southern elephant seal (Mirounga leonina) foraging in the Western Antarctic Peninsula. It also will extend the oceanographic time-series of CTD profiles collected by the elephant seals foraging from the Livingston Island rookery. Seals have been collecting CTD profiles in the vicinity of the Wilkins Ice Shelf (WIS) since 2005. We thus have a 4 year data set that preceding and during the breakup of the WIS that occurred during March 2008. Deployment of additional tags on seals will provide a unique opportunity to collect oceanographic data after the ice shelf has collapsed. | ["POLYGON((-64 -60,-63 -60,-62 -60,-61 -60,-60 -60,-59 -60,-58 -60,-57 -60,-56 -60,-55 -60,-54 -60,-54 -60.4,-54 -60.8,-54 -61.2,-54 -61.6,-54 -62,-54 -62.4,-54 -62.8,-54 -63.2,-54 -63.6,-54 -64,-55 -64,-56 -64,-57 -64,-58 -64,-59 -64,-60 -64,-61 -64,-62 -64,-63 -64,-64 -64,-64 -63.6,-64 -63.2,-64 -62.8,-64 -62.4,-64 -62,-64 -61.6,-64 -61.2,-64 -60.8,-64 -60.4,-64 -60))"] | ["POINT(-59 -62)"] | false | false |