Pack Ice Seal Biomedical Database (APIS)

APIS (Antarctic Pack Ice Seals) is an international program forumulated by the SCAR Group of Experts on Seals to consider the functional significance of upper trophic level predators in the Antarctic pack ice zone and to investigate the seals' interactions with their biological and physical environment. The U.S. component assessed prey, predators and environmental variables in the eastern Ross Sea (ca. 125 - 170 degrees W) from December 1999 to February 2000 aboard the RVIB Nathanial B. Palmer. This data set contains biomedical data (e.g., hematological and serum biochemical profiles) on the following pack ice seals sampled during the U.S. APIS cruise: 58 crabeater seals (Lobodon carcinophagus), 46 Weddell seals (Leptonychotes weddellii), 40 Ross seals (Ommatophoca rossii) and 3 leopard seals (Hydruga leptonyx).