Diving activity in nursing bearded seal (Erignathus barbatus) pups

1994 ◽  
Vol 72 (1) ◽  
pp. 96-103 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christian Lydersen ◽  
Mike O. Hammill ◽  
Kit M. Kovacs
Keyword(s):  
Short Duration ◽  
Mass Gain ◽  
Dive Depth ◽  
Dive Duration ◽  
Diurnal Pattern ◽  
Bearded Seal ◽  
Erignathus Barbatus ◽  
The Mean

In this study we used time-depth recorders to quantify the diving activity of four nursing bearded seal (Erignathus barbatus) pups over a 10-day period. The pups were 4–7 days old at the start of the experiments. Their daily mass gain was 3.3 ± 0.4 kg (mean ± SD). A total of 530 h, which included 6248 dives, was recorded from the four pups. The pups spent an average of 53% of the recorded time in the water and 47% of the time hauled out. When the pups were in the water they were submerged 42% of the time, while 58% of the time was spent at the surface. Most dives were shallow and of short duration. Dive depth and duration were 10 ± 10 m and 62 ± 46 s and the maximum recorded values were 84 m and 5.5 min, respectively. The pups spent more time in the water and increased the number of long dives and the mean dive duration with age. The duration of haul-out intervals where nursing could take place was 1.93 ± 2.01 h, with a recorded maximum of 8.25 h. The time between these haul-out intervals was 2.18 ± 2.44 h, with a maximum of 9.73 h. A diurnal pattern in haul-out activity was documented; pups spent significantly more time hauled out from 07:00 to 10:00 and from 21:00 to 24:00 than during the rest of the day.

Continuous, deep diving in female northern elephant seals, Mirounga angustirostris

1988 ◽  
Vol 66 (2) ◽  
pp. 446-458 ◽  
Author(s):  
Burney J. Le Boeuf ◽  
Daniel P. Costa ◽  
Anthony C. Huntley ◽  
Steven D. Feldkamp
Keyword(s):  
Mass Gain ◽  
Dive Depth ◽  
Dive Duration ◽  
Mirounga Angustirostris ◽  
Elephant Seals ◽  
Deep Diving ◽  
Northern Elephant Seals ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Free Ranging ◽  
Nearly Continuous

The free-ranging dive pattern of seven adult female northern elephant seals (Mirounga angustirostris) was obtained with time–depth recorders during the first 14 – 27 days at sea following lactation. The instruments were recovered and mass gain at sea determined when the animals returned to the rookery at Año Nuevo, California, to molt. The seals gained a mean of 76.5 ± 13.9 kg during a mean of 72.6 ± 5.0 days at sea. The mean dive rate was 2.7 ± 0.2 dives/h and diving was virtually continuous during the entire period at sea. Mean dive duration was 19.2 ± 4.3 min with the longest submersion lasting 48 min. Mean surface interval between dives was 2.8 ± 0.5 min, so that only 14.4% of the recorded time at sea was spent on the surface. Surface intervals did not vary with the duration of preceding or succeeding dives. Modal dive depth for each female was between 350 and 650 m. The maximum dive depth was estimated at 894 m, a depth record for pinnipeds. The deep, nearly continuous dive pattern of female northern elephant seals differs from the dive pattern of other pinnipeds and appears to serve in foraging, energy conservation, and predator avoidance.

scholarly journals Heart rates and abdominal temperatures of free-ranging South Georgian shags, Phalacrocorax georgianus

1997 ◽  
Vol 200 (4) ◽  
pp. 661-675 ◽  
Author(s):  
R M Bevan ◽  
I L Boyd ◽  
P J Butler ◽  
K Reid ◽  
A J Woakes ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Heart Rate ◽  
Dive Depth ◽  
Dive Duration ◽  
Diving Behaviour ◽  
The South ◽  
Data Logger ◽  
Heart Rates ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Free Ranging ◽  
Mean Heart Rate

The South Georgian shag (Phalacrocorax georgianus) shows a remarkable diving ability comparable to that of penguins, yet nothing is known of the physiology of these birds. In this study, heart rates and abdominal temperatures were recorded continuously in four free-ranging South Georgian shags using an implanted data-logger. A time­depth recorder was also attached to the back of the implanted birds to record their diving behaviour. The diving behaviour of the birds was essentially similar to that reported in other studies, with maximum dive durations for individual birds ranging between 140 and 287 s, and maximum depths between 35 and 101 m. The birds, while at the nest, had a heart rate of 104.0±13.1 beats min-1 (mean ± s.e.m.) and an abdominal temperature of 39.1±0.2 °C. During flights of 221±29 s, heart rate and abdominal temperature rose to 309.5±18.0 beats min-1 and 40.1±0.3 °C, respectively. The mean heart rate during diving, at 103.7±13.7 beats min-1, was not significantly different from the resting values, but the minimum heart rate during a dive was significantly lower at 64.8±5.8 beats min-1. The minimum heart rate during a dive was negatively correlated with both dive duration and dive depth. Abdominal temperature fell progressively during a diving bout, with a mean temperature at the end of a bout of 35.1±1.7 °C. The minimum heart rate during diving is at a sub-resting level, which suggests that the South Georgian shag responds to submersion with the 'classic' dive response of bradycardia and the associated peripheral vasoconstriction and utilisation of anaerobic metabolism. However, the reduction in abdominal temperature may reflect a reduction in the overall metabolic rate of the animal such that the bird can remain aerobic while submerged.

Prolonged, continuous, deep diving by northern elephant seals

1989 ◽  
Vol 67 (10) ◽  
pp. 2514-2519 ◽  
Author(s):  
Burney J. Le Boeuf ◽  
Yasuhiko Naito ◽  
Anthony C. Huntley ◽  
Tomohiro Asaga
Keyword(s):  
Dive Depth ◽  
Dive Duration ◽  
Mirounga Angustirostris ◽  
Steady State Condition ◽  
Elephant Seals ◽  
Deep Diving ◽  
Physiological Processes ◽  
Northern Elephant Seals ◽  
Extended Surface ◽  
The Mean

An earlier study showed that female northern elephant seals (Mirounga angustirostris) dive deeply and continuously during the first 1–3 weeks at sea following lactation. We report that this dive pattern is maintained for the entire 2½-month period at sea. Time–depth recorders were attached to six adult females at Año Nuevo, California; three instruments recorded continuously and three instruments recorded every 3rd day at sea. The mean dive rate was 2.5–3.3 dives per hour, with a mean of < 3.5 min on the surface between dives. This resulted in females spending 83–90% of the time at sea underwater. Interruption of continuous diving, characterized by extended surface intervals with a mean of 51.9 ± 65.5 min, was rare, following only 0.42% of the dives. Modal dive duration per female was in the range 17.1–22.5 min. The longest dive was 62 min and was followed by a surface interval of < 2.6 min. Modal dive depth per female was in the range 500–700 m; three females had dives that exceeded 1000 m, with the deepest dive estimated at 1250 m. Deep diving to 500 m or more was always preceded by a descending-staircase pattern of initially shallow to increasingly deeper dives. The continuous, deep diving pattern of this pelagic seal is evidently a steady-state condition. This has important implications for understanding diving adaptations and the physiological processes underlying them.

In the shallow end: diving behaviour of recolonising female New Zealand sea lions (Phocarctos hookeri) around the Otago Peninsula

2011 ◽  
Vol 89 (12) ◽  
pp. 1195-1205 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amélie A. Augé ◽  
B. Louise Chilvers ◽  
Lloyd S. Davis ◽  
Antoni B. Moore
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Dive Depth ◽  
Dive Duration ◽  
Diving Behaviour ◽  
Marine Habitat ◽  
Sea Lions ◽  
The Core ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Historical Range ◽  
Phocarctos Hookeri

Female New Zealand sea lions ( Phocarctos hookeri (Gray, 1844)) at the Auckland Islands (remnant populations) are the deepest and longest diving otariids. These remnant populations are found at the margin of the historical range of the species. We hypothesized that diving behaviours of animals in the core of their historical range is less extreme owing to a better marine habitat. All female New Zealand sea lions (n = 13, aged 2–14 years) born on the Otago Peninsula (initial recolonising population) were equipped with time–depth recorders during April and May 2008, 2009, and 2010. The mean dive depth was 20.2 ± 24.5 m and mean dive duration was 1.8 ± 1.1 min, some of the lowest values reported for otariids. Otago female New Zealand sea lions did not exhibit two distinct diving specialisations as reported at the Auckland Islands. Otago adult females exceeded calculated aerobic dive limits in 7.1% of dives compared with 68.7% at the Auckland Islands. The contrasting differences in diving behaviour between Otago and the Auckland Islands suggest that Otago represents a better marine habitat for New Zealand sea lions, with food easily accessible to animals of all ages.

Diving in ringed seal (Phoca hispida) pups during the nursing period

1993 ◽  
Vol 71 (5) ◽  
pp. 991-996 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christian Lydersen ◽  
Mike O. Hammill
Keyword(s):  
Short Duration ◽  
Average Duration ◽  
Dive Duration ◽  
Ringed Seal ◽  
Young Age ◽  
White Coat ◽  
Polar Bears ◽  
Phoca Hispida ◽  
Study Activity ◽  
The Mean

In this study, activity and diving performance of nursing ringed seal (Phoca hispida) pups were quantified using time–depth recorders. A total of 1040 h of activity, including 7506 diving cycles, was collected from three female pups. The pups spent 50.3% of their time in the water and 49.7% hauled out on the ice. When the pups were in the water, 20.5% of the time was spent actively diving, while 79.5% of the recorded wet time was spent at the surface. Most of the dives were shallow and of short duration. Mean dive duration was 59.1 ± 63.5 s (SD). Maximum dive durations for the three pups were 5.8, 7.5, and 12 min. Maximum recorded depths were 12, 35, and 89 m. These depths represented the bottom in the area where each pup was situated. The average duration of haul-out sessions where nursing could take place was 6.3 ± 1.6 h, and the time between these sessions was 8.2 ± 3.2 h. The mean number of breathing holes found per pup was 8.7 ± 3.5. The large proportion of time spent in the water, the development of diving skills at an extremely young age, the use of multiple breathing holes, and the prolonged white-coat stage are all interpreted to be evolutionary responses to strong predation pressure, mainly from polar bears.

Heart rates and diving behavior of leatherback sea turtles in the eastern pacific ocean

1999 ◽  
Vol 202 (9) ◽  
pp. 1115-1125 ◽  
Author(s):  
A.L. Southwood ◽  
R.D. Andrews ◽  
M.E. Lutcavage ◽  
F.V. Paladino ◽  
N.H. West ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Heart Rate ◽  
Sea Turtles ◽  
Dive Depth ◽  
Dive Duration ◽  
Diving Behavior ◽  
Leatherback Turtles ◽  
Heart Rates ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Leatherback Sea Turtles ◽  
Mean Heart Rate

Heart rates and diving behavior of leatherback sea turtles (Dermochelys coriacea) were monitored at sea during the internesting interval. Instruments that recorded the electrocardiogram and the depth and duration of dives were deployed on six female leatherback turtles as they laid eggs at Playa Grande, Costa Rica. Turtles dived continually for the majority of the internesting interval and spent 57–68 % of the time at sea submerged. Mean dive depth was 19+/−1 m (mean +/− s.d.) and the mean dive duration was 7.4+/−0.6 min. Heart rate declined immediately upon submergence and continued to fall during descent. All turtles showed an increase in heart rate before surfacing. The mean heart rate during dives of 17.4+/−0.9 beats min-1 (mean +/− s.d.) was significantly lower than the mean heart rate at the surface of 24.9+/−1.3 beats min-1 (P&lt;0.05). Instantaneous heart rates as low as 1.05 beats min-1 were recorded during a 34 min dive. The mean heart rate over the entire dive cycle (dive + succeeding surface interval; 19.4+/−1.3 beats min-1) was more similar to the heart rate during diving than to the heart rate at the surface. Although dive and surface heart rates were significantly different from each other, heart rates during diving were 70 % of heart rates at the surface, showing that leatherback turtles do not experience a dramatic bradycardia during routine diving.

Monitoring ringed seal (Phoca hispida) activity by means of acoustic telemetry

1991 ◽  
Vol 69 (5) ◽  
pp. 1178-1182 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christian Lydersen
Keyword(s):  
Acoustic Telemetry ◽  
Dive Depth ◽  
Dive Duration ◽  
Ringed Seal ◽  
Diurnal Pattern ◽  
Phoca Hispida ◽  
Late Afternoon ◽  
Continuous Activity

This study was conducted in Kongsfjorden, Svalbard (78°55′N, 12°30′E), from May 6 to 13, 1989. An adult ringed seal (Phoca hispida) female was live captured and equipped with an acoustic depth–time transmitter to obtain information on diving and haul-out activities. A total of 153 h continuous activity, including 1321 diving cycles, was recorded. Of the total time, 38.2% was spent underwater, 16.6% breathing at the surface, and 45.2% hauling out on the ice. Excluding haul-out periods, the seal was submerged for 69.7% and at the surface for 30.3% of the total time spent in the water. Mean dive duration was 2.7 ± 2.7 (SD) min, and mean dive depth was 10.6 ± 9.0 m. Maximum recorded dive duration was 17 min, and maximum recorded dive depth was 40 m. Recorded activities showed a diurnal pattern, with most of the diving activities in the late afternoon and at night and most of the haul-out activity in the morning and during the day.

Distribution and abundance of ringed (Phoca hispida) and bearded seals (Erignathus barbatus) in western Hudson Bay

1997 ◽  
Vol 54 (4) ◽  
pp. 914-921 ◽  
Author(s):  
N J Lunn ◽  
I Stirling ◽  
S N Nowicki
Keyword(s):  
Polar Bear ◽  
Hudson Bay ◽  
Phoca Hispida ◽  
Current Estimate ◽  
Ringed Seals ◽  
Erignathus Barbatus ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Western Hudson Bay ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Bearded Seals

We flew a medium-altitude, systematic, strip-transect survey for ringed (Phoca hispida) and bearded seals (Erignathus barbatus) over western Hudson Bay in early June 1994 and 1995. The mean density (per square kilometre) of ringed seals hauled out on the ice was four times higher in 1995 (1.690) than in 1994 (0.380). The 1994 survey appeared to underestimate seal abundance because it was flown too late. Ringed seals preferred high ice cover habitat (6 + /8 ice) and, within this habitat, favoured cracking ice and large floes. We found no consistent effect of either wind or cloud cover on habitat preference. We estimated a total of 1980 bearded seals and 140<|>880 ringed seals hauled out on the sea ice in June 1995. A recent review of the relationship between ringed seal and polar bear (Ursus maritimus) populations suggests that a visible population of this size should support a population of up to 1300 polar bears, which is in general agreement with the current estimate of 1250-1300 bears in western Hudson Bay.

The Ontogeny of Ultrasonic Vocalization in Microtus Montanus

Behaviour ◽  
1977 ◽  
Vol 60 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 115-121 ◽  
Author(s):  
V.J. De Ghett
Keyword(s):  
Short Duration ◽  
Maternal Care ◽  
Ultrasonic Vocalization ◽  
Ultrasonic Vocalizations ◽  
Developmental Changes ◽  
Maternal Behaviour ◽  
Postnatal Ontogeny ◽  
Microtus Montanus ◽  
Early Peak ◽  
The Mean

AbstractDevelopmental changes in parameters of ultrasound production were investigated in M. montanus young. The rate of ultrasonic vocalization reached a peak on Day 2 of postnatal ontogeny and declined to zero on Day 15. A similar developmental pattern has been found in several other rodent species. However, the comparatively early peak rate is indicative of a degree of ontogenic precociousness. Other developmental changes, both behavioural and morphological, tend to confirm that M. montanus young are relatively precocious. The duration of ultrasonic vocalizations did not show a significant change across early development. The mean duration for each vocalization sampled was 22.92 msec. The distribution of these vocalizations showed that a considerable number of vocalizations were of very short duration (<30 msec). The developmental changes in the percentage of young emitting ultrasounds began to decline following Day 8 and reached zero percent on Day 15. This decline in the percentage of young vocalizing corresponded to changes in maternal behaviour. Both the rate of ultrasonic vocalization and the percentage of young vocalizing were significantly correlated with the age of the young. Being correlated with age, these parameters of ultrasound production have the possibility of having great communicative value for the purposes of maternal care.

Energy intake and utilisation by nursing bearded seal (Erignathus barbatus) pups from Svalbard, Norway

1996 ◽  
Vol 166 (7) ◽  
pp. 405-411 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. Lydersen ◽  
K. M. Kovacs ◽  
M. O. Hammill ◽  
I. Gjertz
Keyword(s):  
Energy Intake ◽  
Bearded Seal ◽  
Erignathus Barbatus
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