Genomic Diversity and Connectivity in the Cape Fur Seal (Arctocephalus pusillus)

Flipper or ear tissue samples were collected from 95 Cape fur seal (CFS Arctocephalus pusillus pusillus) pups between 2019 and 2025 at colonies in Southern Africa (see Spanjaard et al., 2026). Only pups younger than eight months of age were sampled, using non-destructive methods. DNA was extracted using a NucleoSpin Tissue Kit (Macherey-Nagel). Genotype-by-sequencing (GBS) libraries were prepared using the PstI and MspI enzymes, followed by sequencing on an Illumina NovaSeq X PE150 lane. One negative control was included during extraction and sequencing and is included in the submission. This dataset supports analyses of population genomic structure and connectivity among CFS colonies.