Northern fur seal foraging strategies, Bogoslof and St. Paul Islands 2004-2006

These data are part of North Pacific Research Board Project 414 and Project 514. Project 514 provided a second year of data collection to the study detailed in Banks et al. (2006; North Pacific Research Board Project 414 Final Report; https://workspace.aoos.org/published/file/48ffae91-0274-4b2b-bc84-5378554070c1/f0414_final_report.pdf?source=catalog&portalId=92), and are summarized together in Springer et al. (2008; North Pacific Research Board Project 514 Final Report; https://workspace.aoos.org/files/2580819/514_Final%20report.pdf?source=catalog&portalId=92

Adult female northern fur seals were captured with hoop nets at 2 breeding colonies (Reef and Vostochni Rookeries) on St. Paul Island, Alaska, and at the single breeding colony on Bogoslof Island, Alaska. Captures occurred during November, 2004 (St. Paul Island only); July, 2005; October-November, 2005; and July 2006. 20 seals at each island and during each capture period were weighed, measured, flipper tagged, and instrumented with satellite tags (platform transmitter terminals, or PTTs), for a total of 140 deployments. Seals were also instrumented with archival time-depth recorders (TDRs) during the July, 2005 (n = 20 TDRs at each island) and July, 2006 (n = 17 TDRs at each island) capture periods. Seals were recaptured, and the instruments recovered, at the end of the each summer. Data collection began on 11/06/2004 and ended on 10/19/2006; data represent 2 winter (fur seal migration) and 2 summer (fur seal lactation) study seasons. PTT (model: Kiwisat 101 and 202; Sirtrack Limited, Havelock North, New Zealand) transmissions were programmed to duty cycle at 4 hours on, 8 hours off during the winter study seasons and at 4 hours on, 4 hours off during the summer study seasons. TDRs (model Mk9; Wildlife Computers, Redmond, WA) sampled depth and temperature every 5 second.

Data are composed of: fur seal capture and instrument deployment histories (1 spreadsheet); seal locations obtained from PTT deployments (4 spreadsheets, each containing all seal locations during a study season); TDR environmental sampling records (65 text files in 4 folders, each file representing a single TDR deployment and each folder representing the deployment island and summer study year for the included TDR files).

Data were collected to compare fundamental elements of adult female fur seal foraging strategies (e.g., foraging range and region, attendance patterns) in different ecoregions of the Bering Sea (St. Paul Island vs. Bogoslof Island) during the summer lactation period, and to compare travel routes and habitat use of adult female fur seals from these islands during the annual winter migration into the North Pacific Ocean.

Loaded by FGDC Metadata Uploader, batch 7596, 11-12-2015 19:42

The following FGDC sections are not currently supported in InPort, but were preserved and will be included in the FGDC export:

- Taxonomy (FGDC:taxonomy)

- Spatial Data Organization Information (FGDC:spdoinfo)

Data were used in: Springer, A.M., R.R. Ream, and S.J. Iverson. 2008. Seasonal foraging strategies and consequences for northern fur seals at colonies with opposite population trends – Year 2. North Pacific Research Board Final Report Project 514, 79 p.

These data are part of a larger dataset collected for NPRB Projects 414 and 514. These projects compare the consequences of adult female northern fur seal foraging strategies to the growth and condition of fur seal mothers and pups from islands with different population trajectories (St. Paul declining, Bogoslof increasing). Data were collected for the winter migration into the North Pacific Ocean and for the summer lactation period, during two annual cycles, to help identify factors important to the divergent population trends.

Animal and instrument deployment information for each adult female northern fur seal captured at St. Paul and Bogoslof Islands.

Latitude and longitude of locations obtained from Service Argos for each PTT deployment.

Environmental (depth, temperature, light level, salt water) sampling records for each TDR deployment.

No warranty expressed or implied is made regarding the accuracy or utility of the data, nor shall the act of distribution constitute any such warranty. This disclaimer applies both to individual use of the data and aggregate use with other data.

It is strongly recommended that careful attention be paid to the contents of the metadata file associated with the data. NOAA and the NPRB shall not be held liable for improper or incorrect use of the data described and/or contained herein.

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Communication and collaboration with data set authors is strongly encouraged prior to use.

Data files are accessible through the NPRB URL listed in "Distribution Information"

No restriction for accessing this dataset

Contact originator for citation instructions if data used in publications, reports, presentations, etc. User must read and fully comprehend the metadata prior to use. Applications or inferences derived from the data should be carefully considered for accuracy. While every effort has been made to ensure that these data are accurate and reliable within the limits of the current state of the art, NOAA cannot assume liability for any damages caused by any errors or omissions in the data, nor as a result of the failure of the data to function on a particular system. NOAA makes no warranty, expressed or implied, nor does the fact of distribution constitute such a warranty.

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Metadata are subject to revision at any time and information within the metadata record should not be cited without author consent. While every effort has been made to ensure that these data are accurate and reliable within the limits of the current state of the art, NOAA cannot assume liability for any damages caused by any errors or omissions in the data, nor as a result of the failure of the data to function on a particular system. NOAA makes no warranty, expressed or implied, nor does the fact of distribution constitute such a warranty.

-- "Capture data NPRB Projects 414 and 514.xlsx" produced with Microsoft Excel 2007, Microsoft Windows XP Version 2002 Service Pack 3. Provides capture history of individual seals. Includes instrument deployment information for cross referencing with other data files:

1) Study season (one of four).

2) PTT ID#.

3) TDR ID#.

-- 4 files of satellite location data produced with Microsoft Excel 2007, Microsoft Windows XP Version 2002 Service Pack 3. Each file corresponds to a study season and contains all locations received from Service Argos for the PTTs during the particular study season. Files are:

1) "2004_2005 Winter NPRB Projects 414 and 415.xlsx".

2) "2005 Summer NPRB Projects 414 and 415.xlsx".

3) "2005_2006 Winter NPRB Projects 414 and 415.xlsx".

4) "2006 Summer NPRB Projects 414 and 415.xlsx".

-- 4 zipped (.zip) folders of TDR (Mk9, Wildlife Computers) data. Each folder contains .csv (Comma Separated Value format) text files created from raw TDR data (original .wch format) using Wildlife Computers Hexadecimal File Decoder, Version 2.02.0030. Folders are named for each island (St. Paul or Bogoslof) and summer season (2005 or 2006) combination that the TDRs were deployed in. The files within each folder are named according to the serial number of the TDR, which cross references with the individual information contained in "Capture data NPRB Projects 414 and 514.xlsx", and represent the raw data collected for each individual seal. Folders are:

1) "TDR StPaul2005 NPRB 414 and 415.zip". Contains 17 files.

2) "TDR Bogoslof2005 NPRB 414 and 415.zip". Contains 19 files.

3) "TDR StPaul2006 NPRB 414 and 415.zip". Contains 14 files.

4) "TDR Bogoslof2006 NPRB 414 and 415.zip". Contains 15 files.

PTT data that does not last through a season indicates that either the PTT failed or the PTT attachement failed (i.e., the PTT fell off); data represents the entire transmission life of each PTT deployed during the study. PTT transmissions were programmed to duty cycle at 4 hours on, 8 hours off during the winter study seasons and at 4 hours on, 4 hours off during the summer study seasons.

TDRs are archival tags. Files do not exist if they were not recovered (e.g., if animals were not recaptured at the end of the summer season, or if the tags had fallen off). TDRs were programmed to sample depth and temperature every 5 seconds.

Manual data entries were checked against written records and, when available, cross referenced against electronic records.

Electronically derived datasets represent raw data transmitted from Service Argos (for PTT location data) or downloaded directly from TDRs. Service Argos characterizes the accuracy of each transmitted location with location quality codes and these codes are included in each row of location data in the files. Further filtering of PTT location data, and of TDR data, occurs during subsequent, user defined processing (e.g., Wildlife Computers Dive Analysis for TDRs) specific to the desired analyses.

Data are not processed automatically.

IT Security and Contingency Plan for the system establishes procedures and applies to the functions, operations, and resources necessary to recover and restore data as hosted in the Western Regional Support Center in Seattle, Washington, following a disruption.