|
| |
|
|
|
|
||||
| Home Help Feedback Subscriptions Archive Search Table of Contents | ||||
Journal of Experimental Biology, Vol 202, Issue 20 2749-2761, Copyright © 1999 by Company of Biologists
JOURNAL ARTICLES |
RC Skrovan, TM Williams, PS Berry, PW Moore and RW Davis
Department of Biology, Earth and Marine Science Building, A-316, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA.
During diving, marine mammals must balance the conservation of limited oxygen reserves with the metabolic costs of swimming exercise. As a result, energetically efficient modes of locomotion provide an advantage during periods of submergence and will presumably increase in importance as the animals perform progressively longer dives. To determine the effect of a limited oxygen supply on locomotor performance, we compared the kinematics and behavior of swimming and diving bottlenose dolphins. Adult bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) were trained to swim horizontally near the water surface or submerged at 5 m and to dive to depths ranging from 12 to 112 m. Swimming kinematics (preferred swimming mode, stroke frequency and duration of glides) were monitored using submersible video cameras (Sony Hi-8) held by SCUBA divers or attached to a pack on the dorsal fin of the animal. Drag and buoyant forces were calculated from patterns of deceleration for horizontally swimming and vertically diving animals. The results showed that dolphins used a variety of swimming gaits that correlated with acceleration. The percentage of time spent gliding during the descent phase of dives increased with depth. Glide distances ranged from 7.1+/-1.9 m for 16 m dives to 43.6+/-7.0 m (means +/- s.e.m.) for 100 m dives. These gliding patterns were attributed to changes in buoyancy associated with lung compression at depth. By incorporating prolonged glide periods, the bottlenose dolphin realized a theoretical 10-21 % energetic savings in the cost of a 100 m dive in comparison with dives based on neutral buoyancy models. Thus, modifying locomotor patterns to account for physical changes with depth appears to be one mechanism that enables diving mammals with limited oxygen stores to extend the duration of a dive.
This article has been cited by other articles:
|
|
 |
|
  K. Sato, F. Daunt, Y. Watanuki, A. Takahashi, and S. Wanless A new method to quantify prey acquisition in diving seabirds using wing stroke frequency J. Exp. Biol., January 1, 2008; 211(1): 58 - 65. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
S. L. Gallon, C. E. Sparling, J.-Y. Georges, M. A. Fedak, M. Biuw, and D. Thompson How fast does a seal swim? Variations in swimming behaviour under differing foraging conditions J. Exp. Biol., September 15, 2007; 210(18): 3285 - 3294. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
S. R. Noren, G. Biedenbach, and E. F. Edwards Ontogeny of swim performance and mechanics in bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) J. Exp. Biol., December 1, 2006; 209(23): 4724 - 4731. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
J. A. Goldbogen, J. Calambokidis, R. E. Shadwick, E. M. Oleson, M. A. McDonald, and J. A. Hildebrand Kinematics of foraging dives and lunge-feeding in fin whales J. Exp. Biol., April 1, 2006; 209(7): 1231 - 1244. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
G. Ribak, D. Weihs, and Z. Arad Submerged swimming of the great cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo sinensis is a variant of the burst-and-glide gait J. Exp. Biol., October 15, 2005; 208(20): 3835 - 3849. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
J. R. Lovvorn, Y. Watanuki, A. Kato, Y. Naito, and G. A. Liggins Stroke patterns and regulation of swim speed and energy cost in free-ranging Brunnich's guillemots J. Exp. Biol., December 15, 2004; 207(26): 4679 - 4695. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
C. E. Sparling and M. A. Fedak Metabolic rates of captive grey seals during voluntary diving J. Exp. Biol., April 15, 2004; 207(10): 1615 - 1624. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
T. M. Williams, L. A. Fuiman, M. Horning, and R. W. Davis The cost of foraging by a marine predator, the Weddell seal Leptonychotes weddellii: pricing by the stroke J. Exp. Biol., February 22, 2004; 207(6): 973 - 982. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
K. Sato, Y. Mitani, M. F. Cameron, D. B. Siniff, and Y. Naito Factors affecting stroking patterns and body angle in diving Weddell seals under natural conditions J. Exp. Biol., May 1, 2003; 206(9): 1461 - 1470. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
R. P. van Dam, P. J. Ponganis, K. V. Ponganis, D. H. Levenson, and G. Marshall Stroke frequencies of emperor penguins diving under sea ice J. Exp. Biol., December 15, 2002; 205(24): 3769 - 3774. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 D. Weihs Dynamics of Dolphin Porpoising Revisited Integr. Comp. Biol., November 1, 2002; 42(5): 1071 - 1078. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 Estimating body mass from silhouettes: testing the assumption of elliptical body cross-sections Paleobiology, December 1, 2001; 27(4): 735 - 750.
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 P. J. Butler Diving Beyond the Limits Physiology, October 1, 2001; 16(5): 222 - 227. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
J Lovvorn, G. Liggins, M. Borstad, S. Calisal, and J Mikkelsen Hydrodynamic drag of diving birds: effects of body size, body shape and feathers at steady speeds J. Exp. Biol., May 1, 2001; 204(9): 1547 - 1557. [Abstract] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
J. R. Lovvorn Upstroke Thrust, Drag Effects, and Stroke-glide Cycles in Wing-propelled Swimming by Birds Integr. Comp. Biol., April 1, 2001; 41(2): 154 - 165. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
T. M. Williams Intermittent Swimming by Mammals: A Strategy for Increasing Energetic Efficiency During Diving Integr. Comp. Biol., April 1, 2001; 41(2): 166 - 176. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 T. M. Williams, R. W. Davis, L. A. Fuiman, J. Francis, B. J. Le Boeuf, M. Horning, J. Calambokidis, and D. A. Croll Sink or Swim: Strategies for Cost-Efficient Diving by Marine Mammals Science, April 7, 2000; 288(5463): 133 - 136. [Abstract] [Full Text]
|
|
|
|
|
|
D. Costa and N. Gales Foraging energetics and diving behavior of lactating New Zealand sea lions, Phocarctos hookeri J. Exp. Biol., January 12, 2000; 203(23): 3655 - 3665. [Abstract] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
T. Williams, J. Haun, and W. Friedl The diving physiology of bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus). I. Balancing the demands of exercise for energy conservation at depth J. Exp. Biol., January 10, 1999; 202(20): 2739 - 2748. [Abstract] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
T. Williams, D Noren, P Berry, J. Estes, C Allison, and J Kirtland The diving physiology of bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus). III. Thermoregulation at depth J. Exp. Biol., January 10, 1999; 202(20): 2763 - 2769. [Abstract] [PDF]
|
|
