The SIOS Data Management Service (SDMS) integrates information from SIOS partner data repositories into a unified virtual data centre, the SIOS Data Access Portal, allowing users to search for and access data regardless of where they are archived. Providers and users have to commit to the SIOS data policy.
The current focus is on dataset discovery through standardised metadata, and retrieval, visualisation & transformation of data. Ultimately, the Data Management Service works towards integration of datasets which requires a high level of interoperability at the data level.
SDMS currently harvests information on SIOS relevant datasets from a number of data centres (see below), some hosted by SIOS partners and some not. Data centres hosted by SIOS partners work to harmonise access to the data allowing integrated visualisation etc for the relevant datasets.
Data centres SDMS is harvesting information from.
SIOS partner data centres
Other
AWI (DE)
British Antarctic Survey
CNR (IT) - temporarily disabled due to server issues
National Snow and Ice Data Center
IGPAS (PL)
IMR (NO)
IOPAN (PL)
MET (NO) - weather stations have not been updated for a while, update in progress
NERSC (NO)
NILU (NO)
NIPR (JP)
NPI (NO)
UiS (PL)
Citation of data and service
If you use data retrieved through this portal, please acknowledge our funding source: Research Council of Norway, project number 291644, Svalbard Integrated Arctic Earth Observing System – Knowledge Centre, operational phase.
Always remember to cite data when used!
Citation information for individual datasets is often provided in the metadata. However, not all datasets have this information embedded in the discovery metadata. On a general basis a citation of a dataset include the same components as any other citation:
author,
title,
year of publication,
publisher (for data this is often the archive where it is housed),
edition or version,
access information (a URL or persistent identifier, e.g. DOI if provided)
SIOS recommends all partner data repositories to mint Digital Object Identifiers (DOI) on all datasets. The information required to properly cite a dataset is normally provided in the discovery metadata the datasets.
SIOS Core Data
In order to find SIOS Core Data please use the searchable item marked "Collection" on the right hand side of the map and select "SIOSCD". Quick access to SIOS Core Data is provided here.
Nansen Legacy Data
The Nansen Legacy project is using the SIOS Data Management system as the data portal. Quick access to all Nansen Legacy related datasets is available here.
Brief user guide
The Data Access Portal has information in 3 columns. An outline of the content in these columns is provided above. When first entering the search interface, all potential datasets are listed. Datasets are indicated in the map and results tabulation elements which are located in the middle column. The order of results can be modified using the "Sort by" option in the left column. On top of this column is normally relevant guidance information to user presented as collapsible elements.
If the user want to refine the search, this can be done by constraining the bounding box search. This is done in the map - the listing of datasets is automatically updated. Date constraints can be added in the left column. For these to take effect, the user has to push the button marked search. In the left column it is also possible to specific text elements to search for in the datasets. Again pushing the button marked "Search" is necessary for these to take action. Complex search patterns can be constructed using logical operators from the drop down above the text field and prefixing words with '+' to require their presence and '-' to require their non presence.
Other elements indicated in the left and right columns are facet searches, i.e. these are keywords that are found in the datasets and all datasets that contain these specific keywords in the appropriate metadata elements are listed together. Further refinement can be done using full text, date or bounding box constraints. Individuals, organisations and data centres involved in generating or curating the datasets are listed in the facets in the right column.
Institutions: UiT The Arctic University of Norway, UiT The Arctic University of Norway, UiT The Arctic University of Norway, Norwegain Infrastructure for Research Data (NIRD)
This dataset includes taxonomy and daily vertical export rates of planktonic protist cells, planktonic protist carbon (PPC), and zooplankton abundance and biomass fluxes. Samples were collected from long-term sediment traps deployed on moorings north and northeast of Svalbard from October 2017 to October 2018, as part of the Nansen Legacy (UiT, NO) and Arctic PRIZE (SAMS, UK).
This dataset includes observations of benthic organisms from Isfjorden, Billefjorden, Kongsfjorden, Magdalenafjorden and the marginal ice zone (MIZ). The organisms were collected using benthic trawls. The trawls were done in April 2023, during a field trip on F/F Helmer Hanssen for students in the AB202 course at UNIS. The benthos were described to the lowest possible taxonomic level by the students.
Phytoplankton data collected on a scientific cruise in the biology course AB-202 by The University Centre in Svalbard. The data is collected from different fjords on the west coast of Spitsbergen and by the marginal ice zone in the period 26.04.2023-01.05.2023.
The data was collected from different fjords around Spitsbergen with the use of macrozooplankton nets (1000 μm). The sampling locations are Isfjorden (IsK), Kongsfjorden (KB3) and Magdalenefjorden (MF), and the sampling was done at almost maximum depth.
This data was collected during a AB-202 Helmer Hanssen field cruise in the spring of 2023. The cruise lasted from 26.04-01.05. The stations were Kongsfjorden (KB3), Magdalenafjorden (MAG), marginal ice zone (MIZ) and Billefjorden (BAB). The data was collected with a benthic trawl at each of the stations.
Seven post-moulting ringed seals (Phoca hispida) were equipped with Satellite Linked Dive Recorders in Svalbard in July 1996 to determine if ringed seals conduct long-distance post-moulting feeding excursions, and to obtain details of their diving behaviour. The transmitters were programmed to transmit every other day, and had a depth range of 0-470 m and a resolution of 2 m. The minimum depth to be considered a dive was set to 2 m. Dive depth and duration were recorded into 14 intervals. The mean duration of tags was 206 days (range 103-325). Two seals swam 400 km north to the drifting pack ice (82°N). The rest undertook more local movements. Forty-eight percent of all dives were shallower than 20 m and 90% were shallower than 100m. Ninety-five percent of all dive durations were shorter than 10 min, and 99.5% were shorter than 15 min. This study has shown that adult ringed seals undertake varying patterns of post-moulting excursions.
Surveillance of vegetation to find climate changes and long transported pollution (Dyrevika) and reindeer grazing (Stuphallet).Data is extracted as text, re-worked in Excel and stored as Stastistica files (previously stored as StatGraphics files). Linn Bryhn Jacobsen is responsible.Sample plots of vegetation.
Spatial distribution of various age- and sex groups of ringed seals (N = 94; 19 adultmales, 33 adult females and 42 subadults) was studied in their fast-ice breeding habitat in Kongsfjorden,Svalbard, during May 2004. Adult females occupied the inner, most stable ice area, whilesubadults were found predominantly in the outer parts of the fast-ice, where the ice conditions aremore unstable. Adult males were scattered across these 2 areas; some were intermingled with breedingfemales while others were found further out towards the ice edge in areas mainly dominated bysubadults. This pattern suggests territorial behaviour with competitive exclusion of the subadults andadult males that cannot compete for territories in the prime breeding areas. The size of adult maleswas correlated with their testosterone levels, but it was not necessarily the largest males that had themost adult female neighbors. The adult males that had the most adult female neighbors were howeversignificantly older than the adult males with fewer female neighbors (18 ± 1 vs. 12 ± 1 yr). Thissuggests that experience (age) likely plays a strong role in achieving reproductive success for maleringed seals. A male:female sex ratio of 1:2.4 was found in the prime breeding area, which suggestsa slightly polygynous mating system.
The harbor seal population on Svalbard, the northernmost breeding site for this species, appears to have a truncatedage distribution with older animals being largely absent.PCBs and pesticides were measured in harbor seal males,females, milk and pups from Svalbard to explore whether contaminant exposure or accumulation is a possible causeof premature death for these animals.The levels and patterns of these contaminants were assessed. In addition,transfer of these compounds from females to their pups during lactation was assessed.Both PCB and pesticide levelswere low compared to more southern harbor seal populations.Animals from Svalbard contained 5–10 times lowercontaminant levels, compared to seals from the Norwegian mainland, and 30 times lower concentrations than thoseof harbor seals from the Gulf of St.Lawr ence in eastern Canada. Ringed seals from Svalbard have contaminant levelsthat are comparable to the harbor seals, probably because the diet, as well as the metabolic capacity, of the twospecies is similar at this location.The findings of this study indicate that the early mortality observed for harbor sealson Svalbard, is not likely to be due to contaminant exposure.Female harbor seals transfer a modified contaminantmixture to their pups compared to that found within their own tissues; compounds with higher log Kow, such as somepenta-chlorinated PCBs, were selectively transferred into milk.As a result, the contaminant pattern between malesand females differed, with penta-chlorinated PCBs more abundant in males than in females.In addition, pups receivea relatively high amount of the less lipophylic compounds and a low amount of the more lipophylic compounds.Thesimilar contaminant pattern in milk and pups suggested that they are probably unable to metabolize contaminants andconsequently, accumulate all ingested chemicals.
Twenty-seven ringed seals (Phoca hispida) and 18 harp seals (P. groenlandica) were collected for diet analysis along the ice edge in the Barents Sea to investigate possible niche overlap between these 2 seal species. The diet analysis is based on contents from stomachs and intestines. A resource availability survey was conducted concurrently based on an echo survey combined with demersal and pelagic trawling. This survey showed that the potential prey biomass was dominated by pelagic crustaceans (99% of total biomass) - principally Themisto libellula and Thyssanoessa spp. Despite the prevalence of these crustaceans both seal species showed a strong preference for fish of various species, which constituted only 1% of the biomass in the area. The most common fish in their diet was polar cod Boreogadus saida, which had a Manly's prey preference index of 0.87 for ringed seals and 0.42 for harp seals. Pianka's niche overlap index for the 2 seal species in this area was 0.985, indicating an almost complete niche overlap. However, harp seals prey on significantly larger polar cod than ringed seas, and the larger cod were distributed in deeper water than smaller cod. Thus it appears that the 2 seal species exploit different fractions of the same resource.
The bearded seal, Erignathus barbatus, is an ice breeding phocid that mates in the water. The most detailed studies of male behaviour among aquatic-mating phocids have concentrated primarily on temperate breeding harbour seals, Phoca vitulina, where females are dependent on stable substrates, rock or sand, for parturition. In contrast, female bearded seals give birth on ice floes or the edge of fast ice, a highly unstable substrate. In this study, spatial andtemporal patterns of male bearded seal vocalisations were studied in Kongsfjorden, Svalbard from April 1999 to the end of May 2000. Acoustic recordings were made using an SSQ 906A navy sonobuoy hydrophone and a Sony digital audio tape recorder, TCD-D8. Males vocalised during a discrete 90-day period from early April to mid July, no calls were heard at any other time of the year during this study. Vocalisations increased in duration towards the middle of the mating season in late May, although no change was seen in inter vocal intervals of individuals. The frequency ofoccurrence of vocalisations varied significantly with the diel cycle. Vocalisations increased in number from 16:00 hrs onward into the ‘night’, peaking around 04:00 hrs. This peak coincides with the period when most females are in the water. Female bearded seals were found throughout Kongsfjorden. Their distribution at any particular point in time depends on the availability of suitable haul-out sites (i.e. ice conditions), which are highly variableover time spans as short as a few hours. Males vocalised in higher densities around the fjord entrances and may use these ‘geographical bottlenecks’ to intercept passing females. We suggest that male distribution may reflect the unpredictable nature of female distribution. Aquatic mating phocids appear to exhibit variations in reproductive strategies, including spatial arrangements of displaying males, which reflect the varying constraints imposed onfemale movement patterns by their local habitats and ecological requirements.
Harp seals (Phoca groenlandica) from the Barents Sea were analyzed for blubber levels of polychlorinated biphenyls(PCBs), polychlorinated camphenes (PCCs; toxaphenes), DDT and its metabolites, hexachlorobenzene (HCB), hexachlorocyclohexanes(HCHs), and the cyclodiene pesticides, including dieldrin, endrin, and the chlordanes. Also, the hepatic cytochrome P450(CYP) enzyme activities were measured to assess a possible relation between CYP activities and pesticide levels. Furthermore, thebioaccumulation potential and persistency of these compounds were evaluated. PCCs were the dominant contaminants, exceedingthe PCB concentrations. Individual PCC congener levels (Tox 26 and 50) were fourfold greater than those in the Canadian Arcticand 20-fold greater than those in seals from the west coast of Svalbard, suggesting that the Barents Sea is exposed to PCCs by alocal source. The biomagnification factor and the metabolic index were greatest for p,p-DDT, HCB, b-HCH, and the chlordanestrans-nonachlor and U82. The other pesticides showed lesser values, suggesting metabolism. The ethoxyresorufin-O-deethylationactivity (CYP1A) was high and not correlated with any of the pesticides, whereas a high correlation (r2 adjusted . 50%) was foundbetween the PCCs and testosterone 6-b hydroxylation activities (CYP3A). This suggests an induction of CYP3A-like activity byPCC exposure.
Blubber was analyzed for a wide range of contaminants fromfive subadult and eight adult male ringed seals sampled in 2004,namely, for polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), hexachlorobenzene(HCB), toxaphenes, chlordanes, dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene(DDE), and polybrominated diphenylethers (PBDEs).Contaminant levels were compared to previously sampled animalsfrom the same area, as well as data from literature for otherarctic wildlife species from a wide variety of locations. Ringedseals sampled in 2004 showed 50–90% lower levels of legacy contaminantssuch as PCBs and chlorinated pesticides compared toanimals sampled in 1996 of similar age (14 subadults and 7 adultmales), indicating that the decline of chlorinated contaminantsobserved during the 1990s in a variety of arctic wildlife species iscontinuing into the 21st century. The results also indicated thatPBDE declined in ringed seals; levels in 2004 were about 70–80%lower than in animals sampled in 1998. This is one of the firstobservations of reduced exposure to these compounds and mightbe a first indication that restrictions of production and use ofthese contaminants have resulted in lower exposures in the Arctic.The PCB pattern shifted toward the less chlorinated (i.e., less persistent)PCBs, especially in adult ringed seals, possibly as a resultof reduced overall contaminant exposures and a consequentlylower cytochrome P-450 (CYP) induction, which results in aslower metabolism of less persistent PCBs. The overall effectwould be relative increases in the lower chlorinated PCBs and arelative decreases in the higher chlorinated PCB. Possibly due tolow exposure and consequent low induction levels, ethoxyresorufinO-deethylation (EROD) activity proved to be a poor biomarkerfor contaminant exposure in ringed seals in the present study. Theclose negative correlation (r2=70.9%)between EROD activity andpercent blubber indicates that CYP might respond to increasedbioavailability of the contaminant mixtures when they are mobilizedfrom blubber during periods of reduced food intake.
Samples were collected in Svalbard, Norway, during April and May 2002-2004 from 272 ringed seals (Pusa hispida; 62.5% males, 37.5% females) to study growth and population parameters. The age of the animals ranged from 1 to 32 years. Asymptotic values for standard length and body mass were 127.7±1.6 (s.e.) cm and 69.0±2.7 kg for males (maxima: 144 cm and 92 kg) and 127.6±2.3 cm and 68.9±2.5 kg for females (maxima: 141 cm and 91 kg). All animals were sexually mature at an age ≥6 years and the ovulation rate was 0.86. Mean Age at Maturity (MAM) was 4.2±0.2 years for males and 3.5±0.3 years for females, values significantly lower than calculated for ringed seals from the same area 20 years ago. This change in MAM suggests that either the prey base for ringed seals in the area has increased or alternatively that the density of ringed seals has declined, such that more resources are available per capita. If the climate of the Arctic changes in the manner predicted by a host of climate-change scenarios, it is likely to have a strong impact on ringed seal populations in future, although there are no data to suggest that dramatic changes have taken place yet in fish and invertebrate populations in the Svalbard area. Although cause-and-effect cannot be firmly established, there is a possibility that the substantial increase in the number of polar bears (Ursus maritimus) over the past 20 years, since hunting the species in Svalbard ceased in 1973, may have played a role in the observed change in the ringed seal population.