QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s):
Home     Help     Feedback     Subscriptions     Archive     Search     Table of Contents

This Article Full Text (PDF) References Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Le Boeuf, B. J. Articles by Costa, D. P. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Le Boeuf, B. J. Articles by Costa, D. P.

Journal of Experimental Biology, Vol 203, Issue 21 3265-3274, Copyright © 2000 by Company of Biologists

JOURNAL ARTICLES

Respiration and heart rate at the surface between dives in northern elephant seals

BJ Le Boeuf, DE Crocker, J Grayson, J Gedamke, PM Webb, SB Blackwell and DP Costa
Department of Biology and Institute of Marine Sciences, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA. leboeuf@cats.ucsc.edu

All underwater activities of diving mammals are constrained by the need for surface gas exchange. Our aim was to measure respiratory rate (fb) and heart rate (fh) at the surface between dives in free-ranging northern elephant seals Mirounga angustirostris. We recorded fb and fh acoustically in six translocated juveniles, 1.8-2. 4 years old, and three migrating adult males from the rookery at Ano Nuevo, California, USA. To each seal, we attached a diving instrument to record the diving pattern, a satellite tag to track movements and location, a digital audio tape recorder or acoustic datalogger with an external hydrophone to record the sounds of respiration and fh at the surface, and a VHF transmitter to facilitate recovery. During surface intervals averaging 2.2+/-0.4 min, adult males breathed a mean of 32.7+/-5.4 times at a rate of 15. 3+/-1.8 breaths min(-)(1) (means +/- s.d., N=57). Mean fh at the surface was 84+/-3 beats min(-)(1). The fb of juveniles was 26 % faster than that of adult males, averaging 19.2+/-2.2 breaths min(-)(1) for a mean total of 41.2+/-5.0 breaths during surface intervals lasting 2.6+/-0.31 min. Mean fh at the surface was 106+/-3 beats min(-)(1). fb and fh did not change significantly over the course of surface intervals. Surface fb and fh were not clearly associated with levels of exertion, such as rapid horizontal transit or apparent foraging, or with measures of immediately previous or subsequent diving performance, such as diving duration, diving depth or swimming speed. Together, surface respiration rate and the duration of the preceding dive were significant predictors of surface interval duration. This implies that elephant seals minimize surface time spent loading oxygen depending on rates of oxygen uptake and previous depletion of stores.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				J. U. Meir, T. K. Stockard, C. L. Williams, K. V. Ponganis, and P. J. Ponganis Heart rate regulation and extreme bradycardia in diving emperor penguins J. Exp. Biol., April 15, 2008; 211(8): 1169 - 1179. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				S. J. Thornton, P. W. Hochachka, D. E. Crocker, D. P. Costa, B. J. LeBoeuf, D. M. Spielman, and N. J. Pelc Stroke volume and cardiac output in juvenile elephant seals during forced dives J. Exp. Biol., October 1, 2005; 208(19): 3637 - 3643. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				R. P. Wilson, A. Simeone, G. Luna-Jorquera, A. Steinfurth, S. Jackson, and A. Fahlman Patterns of respiration in diving penguins: is the last gasp an inspired tactic? J. Exp. Biol., May 15, 2003; 206(10): 1751 - 1763. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]