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Energetics of diving in macaroni penguins
1
School of Biosciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham,
B15 2TT, UK
2
British Antarctic Survey, High Cross, Madingley Road, Cambridge, CB3 0ET,
UK
Present address: Sea Mammal Research Unit, Gatty Marine Laboratory, University
of St Andrews, St Andrews, Fife KY16 8LB, Scotland
* Author for correspondence (e-mail: p.j.butler{at}bham.ac.uk)
Accepted 1 October 2002
Heart rate (fH), abdominal temperature (Tab)
and diving depth were measured in thirteen free-ranging breeding female
macaroni penguins. Measurement of these variables allowed estimation of the
mass-specific rate of oxygen consumption
(
O2) while
diving and investigation of the physiological adjustments that might
facilitate the diving behaviour observed in this species. In common with other
diving birds, macaroni penguins showed significant changes in fH
associated with diving, and these variables accounted for 36% of the variation
in dive duration. When
O2 was
calculated for dives of different durations, 95.3% of dives measured were
within the calculated aerobic dive limit (cADL) for this species. Mean
fH for all complete dive cycles was 147±6 beats
min-1. When this fH is used to estimate
O2 of
26.2±1.4 ml min-1 kg-1 then only 92.8% of dives
measured were within the cADL. Significant changes in abdominal temperature
were not detected within individual dives, though the time constant of the
measuring device used may not have been low enough to record these changes if
they were present. Abdominal temperature did decline consistently during bouts
of repeated diving of all durations and the mean decrease in
Tab during a diving bout was 2.32±0.2°C. There
was a linear relationship between bout duration and the magnitude of this
temperature drop. There was no commensurate increase in dive duration during
dive bouts as Tab declined, suggesting that macaroni
penguins are diving within their physiological limits and that factors other
than Tab are important in determining the duration of
dives and dive bouts. Lowered Tab will in turn facilitate
lower metabolic rates during diving bouts, but it was not possible in the
present study to determine the importance of this energy saving and whether it
is occurs actively or passively.
Key words: energetics, diving, macaroni penguin, heart rate, abdominal temperature, rate of oxygen consumption, calculated aerobic dive limit
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