0fbb2c90-5b54-427a-a083-55c022802a80 English ISO/IEC 8859-1 (also known as Latin 1) dataset dataset NERC EDS Environmental Information Data Centre Lancaster Environment Centre, Library Avenue, Bailrigg Lancaster LA1 4AP UK info@eidc.ac.uk https://eidc.ac.uk/ EIDC website The Environmental Information Data Centre (EIDC) is the UK's national data centre for terrestrial and freshwater sciences. information pointOfContact 2025-11-13T16:17:17 UK GEMINI 2.3 OSGB 1936 / British National Grid Biological characteristics, liver metal concentrations, habitat biogeochemistry and habitat contamination sources of UK otters (2006-2017) 2019-10-21 publication https://catalogue.ceh.ac.uk/id/0fbb2c90-5b54-427a-a083-55c022802a80 10.5285/0fbb2c90-5b54-427a-a083-55c022802a80 doi: 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 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 Brand, A. Cardiff Otter Project annefleurbrand@gmail.com https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1779-8691 ORCID record ORCID is an open, non-profit, community-driven effort to create and maintain a registry of unique researcher identifiers and a transparent method of linking research activities and outputs to these identifiers. information author Chadwick, E.A. Cardiff Otter Project chadwickea@cardiff.ac.uk https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6662-6343 ORCID record ORCID is an open, non-profit, community-driven effort to create and maintain a registry of unique researcher identifiers and a transparent method of linking research activities and outputs to these identifiers. information author Shore, R.F. Centre for Ecology & Hydrology enquiries@ceh.ac.uk https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9337-8883 ORCID record ORCID is an open, non-profit, community-driven effort to create and maintain a registry of unique researcher identifiers and a transparent method of linking research activities and outputs to these identifiers. information author Brand, A. Cardiff Otter Project annefleurbrand@gmail.com https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1779-8691 ORCID record ORCID is an open, non-profit, community-driven effort to create and maintain a registry of unique researcher identifiers and a transparent method of linking research activities and outputs to these identifiers. information pointOfContact NERC EDS Environmental Information Data Centre info@eidc.ac.uk custodian NERC Environmental Information Data Centre info@eidc.ac.uk publisher Environmental Monitoring Facilities theme GEMET - INSPIRE themes, version 1.0 2008-06-01 publication Lutra lutra Wikidata 2012-10-29 creation Environmental survey Soil Pollution UK-SCAPE Eurasian otter European otter otherRestrictions no limitations otherRestrictions This resource is available under the terms of the Open Government Licence otherRestrictions © Natural Environment Research Council otherRestrictions © Cardiff University otherRestrictions 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 textTable 20000 English utf8 biota 2006-01-01 2017-12-31 -8.648 1.768 49.864 60.861 Comma-separated values (CSV) NERC EDS Environmental Information Data Centre info@eidc.ac.uk distributor https://data-package.ceh.ac.uk/data/0fbb2c90-5b54-427a-a083-55c022802a80 Download the data Download a copy of this data download https://data-package.ceh.ac.uk/sd/0fbb2c90-5b54-427a-a083-55c022802a80.zip Supporting information Supporting information available to assist in re-use of this dataset information dataset dataset 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 2010-12-08 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).