Determining if lactating Weddell seal mothers are indeed fasting

Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC) Metadata:

• Identification_Information
• Data_Quality_Information
• Spatial_Reference_Information
• Distribution_Information
• Metadata_Reference_Information

Identification_Information:

Citation:

Citation_Information:

Originator: Unknown

Publication_Date: Unknown

Title: Determining if lactating Weddell seal mothers are indeed fasting

Description:

Abstract:

Weddell seals are well adapted polar animals. They give birth to pups in the Antarctic summer when they haul out onto the ice. While feeding their pups, they have a massive fasting weight loss (and fat mobilisation) and their suckling pup has a correspondingly massive weight gain and fat deposition. The question of whether the lactating mothers actually do fast was investigated by testing blood samples for the presence of a chemical, trimethylamine-N-oxide (TMAO), derived from fish in the diet. During the first season of the study, two seals which had not been diving for many hours were given an oral dose of TMAO and blood samples were collected to monitor the change in TMAO concentrations with time. During the second season five seals were given an infusion of TMAO and blood samples were collected for 3.5 hours to monitor the change in TMAO concentrations with time. Single blood samples were taken from 12 other seals for additional biochemical measurements. Ketone bodies such as ß-hydroxybutyrate (BOB) are unexpectedly low in these animals. In order to see if the seals can utilise ketone bodies as soon as they are formed, thereby maintaining low blood concentrations, 12 seals were given infusions of BOB at 3 dose levels (n=4) and blood sampled for 3.5 hours to determine the disappearance rate for BOB. To provide control values for the TMAO and BOB infusion studies, 5 seals were given an infusion of saline solution and blood sampled for 3.5 hours as well.

Purpose:

Not Available

Supplemental_Information:

REFERENCE: Eisert, R. Oftedal, O.T. Lever, M. Ramdohr, S. Breier, B.H. Barrell, G.K. Detection of food intake in a marine mammal using marine osmolytes and their analogues as dietary biomarkers. Marine ecology progress series 300: 213-228, 2005.

Supplemental_Information:

REFERENCE: Barrell, G.K. Antarctic seals provide new insights to biological science. in: Poles apart: a study in contrasts. Lewkowicz A.G. (ed) Ottawa: University of Ottawa Press. 1999. pp.143-150

Supplemental_Information:

REFERENCE: Barrell, G.K. Vets explore physiology of lactating Weddell seals. Antarctic 15: 37, 1997.

Time_Period_of_Content:

Time_Period_Information:

Range_of_Dates/Times:

Beginning_Date: 19961118

Ending_Date: 19961204

Currentness_Reference:Unknown

Time_Period_of_Content:

Time_Period_Information:

Range_of_Dates/Times:

Beginning_Date: 19981030

Ending_Date: 19981208

Currentness_Reference:Unknown

Status:

Progress: Complete

Maintenance_and_Update_Frequency: As needed

Spatial_Domain:

Description_of_Geographic_Extent:

Bounding_Coordinates:

West_Bounding_Coordinate: 166.7667

East_Bounding_Coordinate: 166.7667

North_Bounding_Coordinate: -77.6667

South_Bounding_Coordinate: -77.6667

Keywords:

Theme:

Theme_Keyword_Thesaurus: GCMD SCIENCE PARAMETERS

Theme_Keyword_Thesaurus: ANCILLARY KEYWORDS

Theme_Keyword_Thesaurus: ISO TOPIC CATEGORY

Theme_Keyword_Thesaurus: DATA SET LANGUAGE

Theme_Keyword: EARTH SCIENCE > BIOLOGICAL CLASSIFICATION > ANIMALS/VERTEBRATES > MAMMALS > CARNIVORES > SEALS/SEA LIONS/WALRUSES

Theme_Keyword: EARTH SCIENCE > BIOSPHERE > ECOLOGICAL DYNAMICS > SPECIES/POPULATION INTERACTIONS > EVOLUTIONARY ADAPTATION

Theme_Keyword: Ross Island

Theme_Keyword: BIOTA

Theme_Keyword: ENGLISH

Place:

Place_Keyword_Thesaurus: GCMD

Place_Keyword: OCEAN > SOUTHERN OCEAN

Place_Keyword: CONTINENT > ANTARCTICA

Place_Keyword: GEOGRAPHIC REGION > POLAR

Access_Constraints: Not Available

Use_Constraints:

Not Available

Point_of_Contact:

Contact_Information:

Contact_Person_Primary:

Contact_Person: GRAHAM BARRELL

Contact_Position: INVESTIGATOR

Contact_Address:

Address_Type: Mailing and Physical Address

Address: Agriculture and Life Science Division

Address: PO BOX 84

Address: Lincoln University

City: Lincoln

State_or_Province: Canterbury

Postal_Code: 7647

Country: New Zealand

Contact_Voice_Telephone: +64 3 325 2811

Contact_Facsimile_Telephone: +64 3 325 3879

Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address: Barrell@lincoln.ac.nz

Data_Quality_Information:

Attribute_Accuracy:

Attribute_Accuracy_Report:

Not Available

Logical_Consistency_Report:

Not Available

Completeness_Report:

Not Available

Lineage:

Process_Step:

Process_Description:

Not Available

Process_Date: Unknown

Spatial_Reference_Information:

Distribution_Information:

Distributor:

Contact_Information:

Contact_Organization_Primary:

Contact_Organization: NZ/NZAI/ANZ > Antarctica New Zealand, New Zealand Antarctic Institute, New Zealand

Contact_Person: SHULAMIT GORDON

Contact_Position: DATA CENTER CONTACT

Contact_Address:

Address_Type: Mailing and Physical Address

Address: Antarctica New Zealand

Address: Private Bag 4745

City: Christchurch

Country: New Zealand

Contact_Voice_Telephone: +64 3 358 0200

Contact_Facsimile_Telephone: +64 3 358 0211

Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address: s.gordon@antarcticanz.govt.nz

Resource_Description: K071_1996_1997_NZ_2

Distribution_Liability:

Not Available

Standard_Order_Process:

Digital_Form:

Digital_Transfer_Information:

Format_Name: Not Available

Digital_Transfer_Option:

Online_Option:

Computer_Contact_Information:

Network_Address:

Network_Resource_Name:

http://www.antarcticanz.govt.nz/

Access_Instructions:

DATA CENTER URL

Digital_Transfer_Option:

Fees: Not Available

Metadata_Reference_Information:

Metadata_Date: 20050922

Metadata_Review_Date: 20080801

Metadata_Contact:

Contact_Information:

Contact_Person_Primary:

Contact_Person: SHULAMIT GORDON

Contact_Position: DIF AUTHOR

Contact_Address:

Address_Type: Mailing and Physical Address

Address: Antarctica New Zealand

Address: Private Bag 4745

City: Christchurch

Country: New Zealand

Contact_Voice_Telephone: +64 3 358 0200

Contact_Facsimile_Telephone: +64 3 358 0211

Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address: s.gordon@antarcticanz.govt.nz

Metadata_Standard_Name: FGDC Content Standards for Digital Geospatial Metadata

Metadata_Standard_Version: FGDC-STD-001-1998

Metadata_Time_Convention: local time