Orkney and Shetland, the population isolates which make up the Northern Isles of Scotland, are of particular interest to multiple sclerosis (MS) research. While MS prevalence is high in Scotland, Orkney has the highest global prevalence, higher than more northerly Shetland. Many hypotheses for the excess of MS cases in Orkney have been investigated, including vitamin D deficiency and homozygosity: neither was found to cause the high prevalence of MS. It is possible that this excess prevalence may be explained through unique genetics. We used polygenic risk scores (PRS) to look at the contribution of common risk variants to MS. Analyses were conducted using ORCADES (97/2118 cases/controls), VIKING (15/2000 cases/controls) and Generation Scotland (30/8708 cases/controls) datasets. However, no evidence of a difference in MS associated common variant frequencies was found between the three control populations, aside from HLA-DRB1*1501 tag SNP rs9271069. This SNP had a significantly higher risk allele frequency in Orkney (0.23, p-value = 8 x 10-13) and Shetland (0.21, p-value = 2.3 x 10-6) than mainland Scotland (0.17). This difference in frequency is estimated to account for 6 (95% CI 3, 8) out of 150 observed excess cases per 100,000 individuals in Shetland and 9 (95% CI 8, 11) of the observed 257 excess cases per 100,000 individuals in Orkney, compared with mainland Scotland. Common variants therefore appear to account for little of the excess burden of MS in the Northern Isles of Scotland.

The South Shetland Antarctic fur seal pup census dataset is part of long-term monitoring efforts in the South Shetland Islands archipelago (SSI), based at Cape Shirreff, Livingston Island. These efforts, which include conducting annual synoptic census counts of South Shetland Antarctic fur seals (SSAFS) throughout the region, have been primarily carried out by the Chilean Antarctic Institute (INACH) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) United States Antarctic Marine Living Resources Program (U.S. AMLR). These census data will continue to be collected by the U.S. AMLR program, and updated yearly. Recent studies have demonstrated Antarctic fur seals (Arctocephalus gazella) are composed of at least four distinct subpopulations (Bonin et al. 2013, Paijmans et al. 2020), including one breeding throughout the SSI. These SSAFS are the highest latitude population of otariids in the world. As such, this subpopulation faces a unique array of environmental and ecological challenges, harbors a disproportionately large reservoir of genetic diversity for the species, and has experienced catastrophic population decline between 2008 and 2023 (Krause et al. 2023 and references therein). Therefore, ensuring access to accurate and updated population data for SSAFS is particularly important for managers and decision makers. Due to regular absences by foraging females throughout the breeding season, and the irregular haul out patterns of males and subadults, the most informative measure of fur seal population size is to annually count pups (Payne, 1979; Bengtson et al., 1990). This dataset consists of all known total synoptic Antarctic fur seal pup counts (i.e., live and dead pups) from the SSI during the austral summers since 1959. Counts from the subset breeding colonies at Cape Shirreff (CS, reported with standard deviation (±SD) where available) and the San Telmo Islets (STI) are also included. Data were collected by the U.S. AMLR Program, unless otherwise indicated. Most of these annual census counts were conducted during the optimal biological window (late December and early January) when the vast majority of pups are born, but have not yet been subject to substantial mortality (Krause et al. 2022). The authors are confident that all counts included in this dataset are comparable and representative of South Shetland Antarctic fur seal population trends. However, census dates, or at least best estimates of the census date, are included for all records for any parties wishing to apply correction factors. The data are published as a standardized Darwin Core Archive, which contains count data for SSAFS pups from the specified locations during the specified seasons. This dataset is published under the license CC0. Please follow the guidelines from the SCAR Data Policy (SCAR, 2023) when using the data. If you have any questions regarding this dataset, please contact us via the contact information provided in the metadata or via data-biodiversity-aq@naturalsciences.be. Issues with the dataset can be reported at https://github.com/us-amlr/ssafs-pup-census. This dataset is maintained by the U.S. Antarctic Marine Living Resources Program, funded by NOAA.

In 1972 the biologist, Dr.Victor Ariel Gallardo, recovered benthonic samples from the bottom of Admiralty and Chile Bay, in the South part of King George Island, for biological purposes. During his lab analysis, he found two different projectile points in separate plastic bottles. Archaeological studies of the artifacts and the place where they where discovered, proved that that these points where not originally from that place, but they were introduced by unknown people during the transportation or during its stay in the laboratory (Concepcion). During the field work, a survey was done in Admiralty Bay and on the North coast of King George Island, finding numerous historical sites, one of which "Cuatro Pircas", was excavated the following year.

Antarctic fur seals (AFS) are an ecologically important predator and a focal indicator species for ecosystem-based Antarctic fisheries management. This species suffered intensive anthropogenic exploitation until the early 1900s, but recolonized most of its former distribution, including the southern-most colony at Cape Shirreff, South Shetland Islands (SSI). The IUCN describes a single, global AFS population of least concern; however, extensive genetic analyses clearly identify four distinct breeding stocks, including one in the SSI. To update the population status of SSI AFS, we analyzed 20 years of field-based data including population counts, body size and condition, natality, recruitment, foraging behaviors, return rates, and pup mortality at the largest SSI colony. Our findings show a precipitous decline in AFS abundance (86% decrease since 2007), likely driven by leopard seal predation (increasing since 2001, p << 0.001) and potentially worsening summer foraging conditions. We estimated that leopard seals consumed an average of 69.3% (range: 50.3–80.9%) of all AFS pups born each year since 2010. AFS foraging-trip durations, an index of their foraging habitat quality, were consistent with decreasing krill and fish availability. Significant improvement in the age-specific over-winter body condition of AFS indicates that observed population declines are driven by processes local to the northern Antarctic Peninsula. The loss of SSI AFS would substantially reduce the genetic diversity of the species, and decrease its resilience to climate change. There is an urgent need to reevaluate the conservation status of Antarctic fur seals, particularly for the rapidly declining SSI population.

Survey of dogwhelks at 20 sites around Sullom Voe and Yell Sound, to study the incidence of imposex and its effects on population structure. Population data collected on site and dogwhelks sampled for imposex analysis at Marine Scotland Lab, Aberdeen.

Scottish Marine and Freshwater Science Vol 7 No 28 The current genetic analysis alludes to finer scale structuring of Atlantic cod stocks in the IVa and VIa stock units than had previously been reported by Heath et al. (2014). Consistent with previous studies of maturation, cod from Viking sampled in 2014 matured at a later age and larger size than other areas, providing a phenotypic population marker. During spawning time there was no indication that the Viking group extended beyond the > 100 m waters of the northern North Sea. Indeed, the new genetic and maturity evidence suggests that Shetland coastal cod (ShIE) appear to extend into waters > 100 m east of Shetland. The possible separation of cod from Scottish inshore waters from those offshore is also reminiscent of the inshore-offshore division seen in the northern North Sea. There is some indication of mixing of populations outside the breeding season in the genetic analysis as well as the observation of large immature cod present in west coast samples. The present study has considerably expanded our understanding of the Viking cod from northern IVa and when combined with the studies by Poulsen et al. (2011) and Heath et al. (2014), provides a good indication of population extent at spawning time and suggests a split around 0030 W.

Antarctic fur seals (AFS) are an ecologically important predator and a focal indicator species for ecosystem-based Antarctic fisheries management. This species suffered intensive anthropogenic exploitation until the early 1900s, but recolonized most of its former distribution, including the southern-most colony at Cape Shirreff, South Shetland Islands (SSI). The IUCN describes a single, global AFS population of least concern; however, extensive genetic analyses clearly identify four distinct breeding stocks, including one in the SSI. To update the population status of SSI AFS, we analyzed 20 years of field-based data including population counts, body size and condition, natality, recruitment, foraging behaviors, return rates, and pup mortality at the largest SSI colony. Our findings show a precipitous decline in AFS abundance (86% decrease since 2007), likely driven by leopard seal predation (increasing since 2001, p < 0.001) and potentially worsening summer foraging conditions. We estimated that leopard seals consumed an average of 69.3% (range: 50.3–80.9%) of all AFS pups born each year since 2010. AFS foraging-trip durations, an index of their foraging habitat quality, were consistent with decreasing krill and fish availability. Significant improvement in the age-specific over-winter body condition of AFS indicates that observed population declines are driven by processes local to the northern Antarctic Peninsula. The loss of SSI AFS would substantially reduce the genetic diversity of the species, and decrease its resilience to climate change. There is an urgent need to reevaluate the conservation status of Antarctic fur seals, particularly for the rapidly declining SSI population.

Viking Genes is a research project consisting of three population cohorts, VIKING II, VIKING Health Study Shetland and the Orkney Complex Disease Study (ORCADES). It aims to discover the genes and variants that influence the risk of complex diseases.

This report is a contribution to the Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA4) conducted by the Department of Trade and Industry (now Department of Energy and Climate Change) and discusses temporal variability in benthic populations from the Faroe-Shetland Channel. The West of Shetland transect is situated between 60 40 N, 2 15 W; 61 20 N - 2 50 W, to the North and West of the Shetland islands. Statistical analyses was carried out on data collected previously.

These data are georeferenced TIF files from an orthomosaic constructed using aerial stills imagery collected by a DJI Phantom 4 Pro. The orthomosaic is of Harmony Point on Nelson Island in the South Shetland Islands, Antarctic Peninusla, and was created using Agisoft Metashape Professional v1.6.3.

Since 1995 research on pinnipeds were focused on four main lines: 1. Bioenergetics In collaboration with the Mammals group from the Alfred Wegener Institute, field work is carried out on a project which aims to: (i) compare energy passed by different mothers during lactation in relation to their mass and body condition, and by the same females during different breeding seasons; (ii) assess energy gained by females during the post-breeding and post-moulting period at sea..(iii) assess energy spent by pups during fasting .

1. Population dynamics
2. Annual censuses are carried out during the breeding and moulting period in the study area.

3. A long term study of branded pups is being carried out to asses the role of year, and condition at weaning on survival.

4. Immunology Studies of serum and milk Immunoglobulin levels are carried out in cooperation with the Biochemistry Program directed by M.E.I. Marquez. The main aims of these studies are:

5. To investigate the passive transfer of immunity from mother to pup throughout the lactation period.

6. To investigate the development of active immunity in newborns of Southern elephant seals .

7. Diet The diet of different antarctic pinnipeds is investigated through stomach lavage and scat collection to assess their localities and interannual variations. Diet studies of different species of pinnipeds are conducted in collaboration with Ricardo Casaux from the Instituto Antartico Argentino and Gustavo Daneri from the Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales "Bernardino Rivadavia".

Abstract

Intraspecific variation in animal mating systems can have important implications for ecological, evolutionary and demographic processes in wild populations. For example, patterns of mating can impact social structure, dispersal, effective population size and inbreeding. However, few species have been studied in sufficient detail to elucidate mating system plasticity and its dependence on ecological and demographic factors. Southern elephant seals (Mirounga leonina) have long been regarded as a textbook example of a polygynous mating system, with dominant ‘beachmaster’ males controlling harems of up to several hundred females. However, behavioural and genetic studies have uncovered appreciable geographic variation in the strength of polygyny among elephant seal populations. We therefore used molecular parentage analysis to investigate patterns of parentage in a small satellite colony of elephant seals at the South Shetland Islands. We hypothesised that dominant males would be able to successfully monopolise the relatively small numbers of females present in the colony, leading to relatively high levels of polygyny. A total of 424 individuals (comprising 33 adult males, 101 adult females and 290 pups) sampled over eight years were genotyped at 20 microsatellites and reproductive success was analysed by genetically assigning parents. Paternity could only be assigned to 31 pups (10.7%), despite our panel of genetic markers being highly informative and the genotyping error rate being very low. The strength of inferred polygyny was weak in comparison to previous genetic studies of the same species, with the most successful male fathering only seven pups over the entire course of the study. Our results show that, even in a species long regarded as a model for extreme polygyny, male reproductive skew can vary substantially among populations.

Six species of penguins breed on the Antarctic continent, the Antarctic Peninsula, the South Shetland and South Orkney Islands. Their breeding populations within the Antarctic Peninsula, and the South Orkney and South Shetland Is., and estimates of global populations are given. Typical breeding seasons are also presented, but it must be noted that these will vary inter-annually and intra-annually under the influence of factors such as sea-ice extent and ENSO (interannual) and the location of each breeding colony (southerly localities will be later than northerly localities, as their breeding season is "compressed" within the shorter summer). Their foraging strategies (categorized as near-shore or offshore) and typical durations of foraging trips are also tabulated. As with breeding season events, foraging behaviour will vary intra-seasonally and inter-seasonally (in terms of dive duration, dive depth, foraging location, etc). The distribution of known penguin breeding colonies is circum-continental, with Emperor and Adelie penguins predominant on approximately 75 % of the coast, with two major concentrations in the Ross Sea and in Prydz Bay. The third concentration is in the Antarctic Peninsula region, where some of the largest penguin colonies are present. All six species breed within the area (predominantly Chinstrap Penguins), and the Peninsula region has a greater diversity than the remainder ofthe Antarctic with respect to penguins. The distribution at sea of nonbreeding penguins is less cIear. Non-breeding individuals of all six species move throughout the Southern Ocean, and in many cases, to areas well north of the winter pack-ice zone. However, it is not possible to estimate densities of penguins at sea as there are no estimates of non-breeding penguin populations the extent of their travels.

This dataset includes information on native eyebright plants (Euphrasia, Orobanchaceae) studied and measured at a range of sites across Britain and Ireland, with a special sampling focus on Fair Isle (Shetland, Scotland). Attributes measured are location information (Euphrasia species, coordinates and population description), individual plant trait data (including measures of floral and vegetative traits) and genome sizes. Full details about this dataset can be found at https://doi.org/10.5285/0a77d3b5-03ce-4a14-ab2d-acc4aa7bd0ef

Project: Breeding Biology of Male Southern Elephant Seals (Mirounga leonine) at South Shetland Islands, Antarctica. Project No. 44 2002-2004

ENGLISH Project in cooperation with Universidad Nacional de La Plata, Buenos Aires, ARGENTINA

The Southern elephant seal is a polygynous, sexual dimorphic species in which males are 4 -10 times greater than females. Males begin to arrive at the start of the breeding season and fight each other in areas where females will settle to give birth. When pregnant females begin to arrive, they gather in groups called harems. The result of the encounters between males is a dominance hierarchy at each breeding area, which reduces access to the grouped females to the highest-ranking males, thus allowing them to increase their breeding success. Male size is an important variable to take into account in this social structure; however, additional factors such as prior residence at the breeding area, male age, and time spent on the beach could also be variables that affect male social rank in the dominance hierarchy and thus male breeding success.

By combining different techniques (paternity analyses, body measurements, daily censuses) we propose to study the breeding biology of southern elephant seals at Stranger Point, King George Island, identifying potential different strategies displayed by males to increase their breeding success.

SPANISH Biologia reproductiva de machos de elefante marino del sur (Mirounga leonina) en las Islas Shetland del Sur, Antartica. (Proyecto en cooperacion con la Universidad Nacional de La Plata) Director: Lic. Alejandro Carlini Co-Director: ---

Resumen del Proyecto: El elefante marino del sur es una especie poligamica y sexualmente dimorfica en la cual los machos son entre 4 y 10 veces mas pesados que las hembras. Durante la estacion reproductiva los machos adultos compiten por el acceso a las hembras y como resultado de esta competencia se establece una jerarquizacion de los individuos dentro y en las proximidades de los harenes. El tamano parece ser una variable de gran importancia en dicha jerarquizacion pero otros factores, entre ellos el arribo temprano a la colonia, la edad y el tiempo de permanencia tambien podrian afectarla y por lo tanto hacer lo propio con el exito reproductivo. Ademas es posible que machos de diferentes jerarquias adopten distintas estrategias con el objeto de maximizar la probabilidad de fecundar hembras.

Combinando diferentes metodologias (analisis de paternidad por microsatelites, medidas corporales, analisis de sonogramas y monitoreos periodicos a lo largo de la estacion reproductiva) se propone estudiar la biolog?a reproductiva de los machos de la especie, en la colonia situada en Punta Stranger, Isla 25 de Mayo, a fin de identificar las posibles estrategias individuales empleadas por ellos para maximizar su exito reproductivo.

141 catchments throughout mainland Scotland, Orkney and Shetland and Western Isles were surveyed by electrofishing for larvae, confirming lamprey presence in most rivers with previous records and identifying 17 catchments with previously unknown populations, extending the known range of all species. Lampreys were present in 65 of the 141 catchments and at 342 of 710 survey sites. Lampreys were absent from all survey sites on Orkney and Shetland and from those areas of west Highlands north of Loch Carron. Distribution was patchy in east Sutherland, Caithness and Easter Ross, but several previously unrecorded populations were identified. Lampreys were present in most rivers south of the Great Glen. Sea lamprey were present in 13 catchments, river lampreys in 20 and brook lampreys in 51. Unidentified Lampetra species were present in a further 13. Sea lampreys were the rarest species in both records and survey. They have been recorded in 35 rivers, although their continuing presence in some of these is uncertain. Although scarce, sea lampreys are widespread with extant populations in all regions excepting Orkney and Shetland and, perhaps, Western Isles where occasional adults are seen but breeding is unconfirmed. The survey identified several catchments with previously unrecorded river lamprey populations, particularly in south Argyll. River lampreys have now been recorded in 42 mainland rivers. There are no records from any of the islands. River lampreys are largely restricted to rivers south of the Great Glen. Brook lampreys were the most common species in both records and survey. Their presence has now been confirmed in all regions excepting Orkney and Shetland. Single, isolated populations were present on Lewis, Skye and Islay. The species is common south of the Great Glen. Distribution is patchy in the far north of Scotland and they are absent from the far north-west.

This dataset includes information on native eyebright plants (Euphrasia, Orobanchaceae) studied and measured at a range of sites across Britain and Ireland, with a special sampling focus on Fair Isle (Shetland, Scotland). Attributes measured are location information (Euphrasia species, coordinates and population description), individual plant trait data (including measures of floral and vegetative traits) and genome sizes. Full details about this dataset can be found at https://doi.org/10.5285/0a77d3b5-03ce-4a14-ab2d-acc4aa7bd0ef

Variants observed in the VIKING cohort but not in gnomAD are often specific to Shetland.

ENGLISH

Project PICTA 09 2004-2007

The Project deals with different aspects of the ecology (trophic position, reproduction, age and growth, interaction with predators) of the Antarctic ichthyofauna in the Scotia Arc (South Georgia Islands, South Orkney Islands, South Shetland Islands and west Antarctic Peninsula). The fish species studied belong to the endemic Antarctic Suborder Notothenioidei; most of them have been or are presently object of commercial exploitation. These are the patagonian toothfish Dissostichus eleginoides, the mackerel ice fish Champsocephalus gunnari and the Antarctic cods Notothenia rossii, Gobionotothen gibberifrons and N. coriiceps, among others. Another subject developed by the Project is the monitoring of demersal fish at inshore sites of the South Shetland Islands, to evaluate the impact of the former offshore commercial fishery in the area in the late 1970s. Effect of long term shore-based sampling programs on near-shore fish populations. Predator-prey interaction between the Antarctic Shag Phalacrocorax bransfieldensis and demersal fish of the area, including species that have been commercially exploited in the past. The scope of the Project is in line with the aims of the Convention for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR).

The present is continuation of the long-term project explained CDA_AR_ECOLOGY_ANTARCTIC_FISH with the aggregate of the theme "predatory interaction prey between cormorants and demersal fish". The name of the previous Project is: Ecology of Antarctic fish of the Arch of Scotia (Islands Georgia Southern, Orcadas Southern and Antarctic Peninsula). The Doctor R. Casaux, was a Co-Director of the same.In the present Project, he is included in the title "Impact of the commercial fishery" because this theme is not fit in inside "general Ecology" and besides, by the importance that the same one has acquired in recent years.

Monitoring of the fauna and flora of specified areas around the Sullom Voe Oil Terminal has been carried out between 1978 and 1984 to add to the information on the flora and fauna of the rocky shores in the area. Cardium (=Cerastoderma) edule shell parameters and population changes have been studied as indicators of changes in the area, whether pollution induced or natural.