Identification

Title

Obesogens in Scottish grey seals 2015-2018

Alternative title(s)

British Oceanographic Data Centre record 1048NE_M013723_1

Abstract

The impacts of Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) are assessed in fat tissue (blubber) using live explant samples from young grey seals (Halichoerus grypus) on the east coast of Scotland. The data show POP levels in blubber and responses to intrinsic pollutants and experimental exposure to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), relevant due to its applicability to other species, including humans. The study sites are located on the Isle of May (56° 10’ 57” N, 02° 33’ 17” W) between October and December 2015, 2016, and 2017, where the grey seal population had been monitored annually and from where previous POP data from blubber tissue was investigated in 2002. A second sample set was collected from yearling grey seals hauled out on the Isle of May, Moray Firth, and Culbin Sands (57° 39’10” N, 03° 43’ 15” W) and maintained in temporary captivity at the Sea Mammal Research Unit between February and August 2018. The capture and explant data includes animal identifier, moulting state (where relevant for yearlings), whether the animal was fed or fasted (where relevant for pups), body and sample tissue mass. Characteristics of the animals like sex, birth, and weaning date (where known), rate of mass change, life history stage and blubber fat content, including intrinsic blubber POP levels, were measured at the Centre for Analytical Research and Technology at the University of Liège, Belgium to be used as covariates in a Generalised Additive Mixed Model (GAMM). This analysis was undertaken after accelerated solvent extraction of the samples in hexane dichloromethane (Dionex 200 by Thermo Fisher Scientific) and the extracts were analysed using a gas chromatograph (Agilent 6890 GC) coupled to Autospec Ultima High-Res Mass Spectrometer. The response of explants was tested through measurement of gene expression (using the Stratagene Mx3000P qPCR System or StepOne Plus Real-Time PCR System), insulin signaling and glucose uptake, lactate production, oxygen consumption and lipolytic rate using Randox Monza assays. Thyroid hormones triiodothyronine (TT3) and thyroxine (TT4) were measured using Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assays (ELISA Fortress Diagnostics Ltd). The live explants were treated overnight with a mix of PCBs and organochlorine pesticide derivatives (DDT, DDE), which were associated with altered metabolic function symptoms such as glucose uptake and lactate production in 2015-2017. The data will facilitate an understanding of the molecular mechanisms of contaminant-induced disruption of energy balance by legacy pollutants in seals during their most vulnerable life stages. The data collection was led by Dr Kimberley Bennett from Abertay University and funded by the NERC Discovery Science project “Obesogens in a naturally obese animal: An experimental approach to assess the impact of marine pollutants on fat tissue function in seals”, parent grant reference NE/M013723/1 with child grant NE/M01357X/1.

Resource type

dataset

Resource locator

https://www.bodc.ac.uk/

name: Dataset Web Site

function: offlineAccess

Unique resource identifier

code

EDMED7345

codeSpace

http://www.bodc.ac.uk/

Dataset language

eng

Spatial reference system

authority code

OGP

code identifying the spatial reference system

Classification of spatial data and services

Topic category

oceans

biota

environment

Keywords

Keyword set

keyword value

originating controlled vocabulary

title

MEDIN metadata record availability

reference date

date type

revision

effective date

2012-01-11

Keyword set

keyword value

originating controlled vocabulary

title

GEMET - INSPIRE themes, version 1.0

reference date

date type

revision

effective date

2009-07-31

Keyword set

keyword value

originating controlled vocabulary

title

SeaDataNet Parameter Discovery Vocabulary

reference date

date type

revision

effective date

2023-12-12

Keyword set

keyword value

originating controlled vocabulary

title

SeaVoX Vertical Co-ordinate Coverages

reference date

date type

revision

effective date

2020-05-21

Geographic location

West bounding longitude

-3.7208

East bounding longitude

-2.5548

North bounding latitude

57.6528

South bounding latitude

56.1827

Extent

Extent group

authority code

title

SeaVoX water bodies

reference date

date type

revision

effective date

2023-09-13

code identifying the extent

Cromarty Firth

Extent group

authority code

title

SeaVoX water bodies

reference date

date type

revision

effective date

2023-09-13

code identifying the extent

Firth of Forth

Temporal reference

Temporal extent

Begin position

2015-10-23

End position

2018-06-21

Dataset reference date

date type

publication

effective date

2024-07-05

date type

creation

effective date

2024-07-05

date type

revision

effective date

2024-07-05

Frequency of update

asNeeded

Quality and validity

Lineage

The datasets cover measurements of persistent contaminants in seal blubber in two grey seals (Halichoerus grypus) populations on the Isle of May in Moray Firth and Culbin Sands, Scotland. Captured specimens were classified depending on animal characteristics like moulting state, whether the animal was fed or fasted, body and sample tissue mass. Blubber explants were collected in 2015-2018 and tested in Liège at the Centre for Analytical Research and Technology. Samples from different specimens were used as covariates in a Generalised Additive Mixed Model to assess the impact of Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) on metabolic and energy regulating functions such as thyroid hormone levels, glucose uptake and lactate production. The datasets were produced by researchers from Abertay University and funded by the NERC Discovery Science project, parent grant reference NE/M013723/1 with child grant NE/M01357X/1. The data were then provided to the British Oceanographic Data Centre (BODC) for archival and discoverability. No data quality or data processing procedures were applied by BODC. Instrument(s) used to collect data: colorimeters; spectrophotometers.

Conformity

Conformity report

specification

title

COMMISSION REGULATION (EU) No 1089/2010 of 23 November 2010 implementing Directive 2007/2/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards interoperability of spatial data sets and services

reference date

date type

publication

effective date

2010-12-08

degree

true

explanation

BODC protocols are based on the Open Archival Information System (OAIS) model enabling BODC to iterate towards compliance with the on-going evolution and development of community requirements including FAIR (Findable,Accessible,Interoperable,Reusable), TRUST (Transparency, Responsibility, User community, Sustainability, Technology) and CARE (Collective Benefit, Authority to Control, Responsibility, Ethics). Data managers quality assure submissions and assemble the metadata necessary for curation. Submissions (as received) are placed in a long-term accession and stored in triplicate across multiple sites. Appropriate data are transferred into a standard internal format with source variable names mapped to controlled vocabularies, documentation assembled, and metadata loaded into BODC databases. Access to these data is through direct request, the BODC website and through partner repositories such as SeaDataNet. Access control is attained by assigning a data policy to each set of data and this policy is used to administer access when data are requested. Discovery metadata is aligned with EU INSPIRE (through MEDIN) and SeaDataNet community standards. Data are converted to open community formats including Ocean Data View ASCII and SeaDataNet NetCDF, with data described using terms from the NERC vocabulary server. BODC submission agreements are documented on the BODC website and customer service is assured with a dedicated requests team that serve data following local regulations including General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) 2018 and Environmental Information Regulations (EIR) 2004.

Data format

name of format

version of format

Constraints related to access and use

Constraint set

Limitations on public access

Data are freely available to all following agreement to the terms and conditions of a Data Licence

Constraint set

Limitations on public access

Usage restrictions are specified in the terms of the licence

Responsible organisations

Responsible party

contact position

Unknown

organisation name

Sea Mammal Research Unit

full postal address

University of St Andrews Gatty Marine Laboratory

St Andrews

KY16 8LB

United Kingdom

telephone number

+44 (0)1334 463446

email address

smru@st-andrews.ac.uk

web address

http://www.smru.st-andrews.ac.uk/

responsible party role

owner

Responsible party

contact position

Unknown

organisation name

Sea Mammal Research Unit

full postal address

University of St Andrews Gatty Marine Laboratory

St Andrews

KY16 8LB

United Kingdom

telephone number

+44 (0)1334 463446

email address

smru@st-andrews.ac.uk

web address

http://www.smru.st-andrews.ac.uk/

responsible party role

originator

Responsible party

contact position

Director

organisation name

British Oceanographic Data Centre

full postal address

Joseph Proudman Building

6 Brownlow Street

Liverpool

L3 5DA

United Kingdom

email address

enquiries@bodc.ac.uk

web address

https://www.bodc.ac.uk/

responsible party role

custodian

Responsible party

contact position

Director

organisation name

British Oceanographic Data Centre

full postal address

Joseph Proudman Building

6 Brownlow Street

Liverpool

L3 5DA

United Kingdom

email address

enquiries@bodc.ac.uk

web address

https://www.bodc.ac.uk/

responsible party role

distributor

Metadata on metadata

Metadata point of contact

contact position

Head of Enquiries

organisation name

British Oceanographic Data Centre

full postal address

Joseph Proudman Building

6 Brownlow Street

Liverpool

L3 5DA

United Kingdom

email address

enquiries@bodc.ac.uk

web address

https://www.bodc.ac.uk/

responsible party role

pointOfContact

Metadata date

2024-07-05T17:01:23

Metadata language

eng