NERC Data Catalogue Service
Biological characteristics, liver metal concentrations, habitat biogeochemistry and habitat contamination sources of UK otters (2006-2017)
The dataset details the biological characteristics and concentrations of toxic metals/semi-metals in liver tissue from 278 Eurasian otters (Lutra lutra) that died across England and Wales during the period 2006-2017. For each otter carcass, location (National Grid Reference) was recorded. These locations were used to collate data describing spatial variation in stream and soil biochemistry, weather, and potential anthropogenic sources of contaminants in the otter's habitat from a range of sources. This data was collected as part of the Cardiff University Otter Project. This project was supported in part by a grant from the Esme Fairbairn Foundation. The CEH contribution was supported the Natural Environment Research Council award number NE/R016429/1 as part of the UK-SCaPE programme delivering National Capability. This study contains model estimates of topsoil properties [Countryside Survey] and British Geological Survey data owned by © NERC as well as Ordnance Survey data owned by © Crown copyright and database right 2007. Full details about this dataset can be found at
https://doi.org/10.5285/0fbb2c90-5b54-427a-a083-55c022802a80
Simple
- Date (Publication)
- 2019-10-21
- Identifier
- doi: / 10.5285/0fbb2c90-5b54-427a-a083-55c022802a80
- Other citation details
- Brand, A., Chadwick, E.A., Shore, R.F. (2019). Biological characteristics, liver metal concentrations, habitat biogeochemistry and habitat contamination sources of UK otters (2006-2017). NERC Environmental Information Data Centre 10.5285/0fbb2c90-5b54-427a-a083-55c022802a80
- GEMET - INSPIRE themes, version 1.0
-
- Environmental Monitoring Facilities
- Access constraints
- otherRestrictions Other restrictions
- Other constraints
- no limitations
- Use constraints
- otherRestrictions Other restrictions
- Use constraints
- otherRestrictions Other restrictions
- Other constraints
- © Natural Environment Research Council
- Use constraints
- otherRestrictions Other restrictions
- Other constraints
- © Cardiff University
- Use constraints
- otherRestrictions Other restrictions
- Other constraints
- If you reuse this data, you should cite: Brand, A., Chadwick, E.A., Shore, R.F. (2019). Biological characteristics, liver metal concentrations, habitat biogeochemistry and habitat contamination sources of UK otters (2006-2017). NERC Environmental Information Data Centre https://doi.org/10.5285/0fbb2c90-5b54-427a-a083-55c022802a80
- Spatial representation type
- textTable Text, table
- Distance
- 20000 urn:ogc:def:uom:EPSG::9001
- Metadata language
- EnglishEnglish
- Character set
- utf8 UTF8
- Topic category
-
- Biota
- Begin date
- 2006-01-01
- End date
- 2017-12-31
N
S
E
W
))
- Unique resource identifier
- OSGB 1936 / British National Grid
- Distribution format
-
-
Comma-separated values (CSV)
()
-
Comma-separated values (CSV)
()
- OnLine resource
-
Download the data
Download a copy of this data
- OnLine resource
-
Supporting information
Supporting information available to assist in re-use of this dataset
- Hierarchy level
- dataset Dataset
- Other
- dataset
Conformance result
- Date (Publication)
- 2010-12-08
- Statement
- Carcasses from 278 Eurasian otters (Lutra lutra), sent in to Cardiff University Otter Project (www.cardiff.ac.uk/otter-project) between 2006 and 2017, were subjected to a detailed post-mortem examination. This examination included the documentation of phenotypic characteristics (e.g. sex, length, weight, age class) and the collection of liver tissue samples. Liver tissue samples were acid digested after which toxic metals/semi-metals were quantified using Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS) at the Centre for Ecology & Hydrology in Lancaster. For each otter carcass, location (National Grid Reference) and date of collection was recorded. Otter locations were used as the centre of 20-km-diameter circles that were assumed to be the otter's habitat range. For each 20-km-diameter circle, data describing spatial variation in habitat biogeochemistry and habitat contamination sources was collated from a range of sources. Geological and anthropogenic variables were summarised either as mean values (soil elements, soil pH, sediment elements, stream pH, rainfall, silver nanoparticle concentrations in surface water, human population density) or sum values (number of consented discharges to controlled waters, annual mass inputs of metals to controlled waters).
- File identifier
- 0fbb2c90-5b54-427a-a083-55c022802a80 XML
- Metadata language
- EnglishEnglish
- Character set
- ISO/IEC 8859-1 (also known as Latin 1) 8859 Part 1
- Hierarchy level
- dataset Dataset
- Hierarchy level name
- dataset
- Date stamp
- 2025-11-13T16:17:17
- Metadata standard name
- UK GEMINI
- Metadata standard version
- 2.3
Point of contact
NERC EDS Environmental Information Data Centre
Lancaster Environment Centre, Library Avenue, Bailrigg
,
Lancaster
,
LA1 4AP
,
UK
https://eidc.ac.uk/
Overviews
Spatial extent
N
S
E
W
Provided by
Associated resources
Not available