Vertical fatty acid composition in the blubber of leopard seals and the implications for dietary analysis

• The blubber of leopard seals has a stratified fatty acid composition.
• The stratification pattern is similar to other marine mammals.
• The influence of diet is more evident in the inner blubber layer.
• Diet is not the only component influencing the fatty acids in the blubber.
• For dietary analysis, the use of the inner layer is recommended.