Ringed seal structure measurements, types, snow and ice habitat, and evidence of predation collected during spring 1983 and 1984

• Main Authors: Hauser, Donna, Frost, Kathryn
• Format: Dataset
• Language: English
• Published: Axiom Data Science 2021
• Subjects: Chukchi Sea; Chukchi; ringed seal; Sea ice; Alaska
• Online Access: https://dx.doi.org/10.24431/rw1k5b3; https://search.dataone.org/#view/10.24431/rw1k5b3

Ringed seals maintain breathing holes and excavate subnivean lairs on sea ice to provide protection from weather and predators during birthing, nursing, and resting. These data, collected using trained dogs to locate structures on the landfast and offshore pack ice in the Chukchi Sea, provide baseline information on the snow and ice habitat, distribution, density, and configuration of ringed seal structures (breathing holes, simple haulout lairs, and pup lairs) as well as evidence of predation at structures in northwest Alaska. Data were collected in two regions of the eastern Chukchi Sea during the ringed seal subnivean period in spring 1983 and 1984. Data are provided as csvs and a geospatial shape file package.