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Book To Pup Or Not to Pup  Using Physiology and Dive Behavior to Answer the Weddell Seal s Overwinter Question

Download or read book To Pup Or Not to Pup Using Physiology and Dive Behavior to Answer the Weddell Seal s Overwinter Question written by Michelle R. Shero and published by . This book was released on 2015 with total page 356 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Female Weddell seals (Leptonychotes weddellii) haul-out on the fast-ice surrounding the Antarctic continent in October and November each year to give birth to and nurse their pups. Breeding follows directly after weaning (December) and the annual molt begins in January-February. Animals reduce foraging efforts during the lactation and molting periods, but very little is known regarding the influence of this reduced activity on physiological condition. After a period of embryonic diapause, the annual molt coincides with embryo attachment and the start of active gestation. Consequently, female physiological condition at this time may influence reproductive success the following year. Overall female health and the ability to forage successfully throughout the gestation period (austral winter) may impact the likelihood that a pregnancy is brought to term. Therefore, this study tested whether overwinter changes in Weddell seal physiology and foraging efforts are reflected in reproductive outcomes the following year (i.e., to answer the over winter question of "to pup or not to pup?"). From 2010-2012, 100 (January-February: n = 53; October-November: n = 47) adult female Weddell seals were captured in Erebus Bay, Antarctica to assess overwinter changes in physiological condition and/or dive behavior that may be associated with reproductive success. Morphometric measurements and isotopic dilution procedures revealed that female Weddell seals gain ~10-15% of their body mass across the winter period, primarily in the form of blubber and lipid mass. The proportion of mass and lipid gain was similar regardless of whether females returned the following year and successfully gave birth, or did not produce a pup. Further, the amount of mass and energy acquired across gestation in the Weddell seal was markedly less than previously reported for other phocid species. Despite changes in activity patterns and body composition, Weddell seals maintained blood hemoglobin and muscle myoglobin concentrations across the winter. Therefore, Weddell seal total body oxygen stores and calculated aerobic dive limit (cADL) were conserved. This ensures that females have the physiological capabilities to effectively forage directly following the annual molt when they are at their leanest and must regain body mass and lipid stores. Although aerobic capacities did not change, dive effort varied considerably throughout the austral winter. Proxies of dive effort (duration, depth, %dives > cADL) were highest just after the molt (January-February) and just prior to the subsequent pupping season (August-September). Additionally, the proportion of each day spent diving increased mid-winter. Females that were observed the following year with a pup significantly increased all indices of foraging effort during the austral winter as compared to females that returned without a pup. This study is the first to identify and measure differences in dive efforts due to reproductive status, and indicates that successful reproduction is associated with greater foraging effort.

Book Ethology and Behavioral Ecology of Phocids

Download or read book Ethology and Behavioral Ecology of Phocids written by Daniel P. Costa and published by Springer Nature. This book was released on 2022-03-17 with total page 651 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Phocid (or earless or true) seals are ecologically diverse, occupying habitats from the tropics to the poles in marine and freshwater and feeding on anything from tiny zooplankton to other marine mammals. There are 18 species of phocid seals, the smallest species (ringed seal) is more than 20 times smaller than the largest (southern elephant seal), with marked sexual dimorphism present in some species. This book examines the behavior, ecology, and physiology that allow phocid seals to inhabit such a wide range of habitats. The book is composed of 16 chapters written by 37 authors from 8 countries. The book first describes the general patterns of phocid behavior, followed by descriptions of what is known about well-studied species. We have taken a holistic approach, focusing not only on the behaviors themselves but also on the factors that constrain the expression of behavior and the proximate mechanisms driving behavior. In many cases, the chapters represent collaborations between well-established researchers and early-mid career individuals who bring new perspectives to help carry the field of phocid behavioral ecology well into the future.

Book Determinants of the aerobic dive limit of Weddell seals

Download or read book Determinants of the aerobic dive limit of Weddell seals written by P.J. PONGANIS and published by . This book was released on 1993 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Book Antarctic Journal of the United States

Download or read book Antarctic Journal of the United States written by and published by . This book was released on 1996 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Book Diving Physiology of Marine Mammals and Seabirds

Download or read book Diving Physiology of Marine Mammals and Seabirds written by Paul J. Ponganis and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2015-11-26 with total page 351 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An up-to-date synthesis of comparative diving physiology research, illustrating the features of dive performance and its biomedical and ecological relevance.

Book Ethology and Behavioral Ecology of Otariids and the Odobenid

Download or read book Ethology and Behavioral Ecology of Otariids and the Odobenid written by Claudio Campagna and published by Springer Nature. This book was released on 2021-06-02 with total page 667 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book is focused on the marine mammalian groups the Otariidae and the Odobenidae, otherwise known as fur seals, sea lions and the walrus. In 30 chapters, more than 60 authors from 30 institutions and 13 nationalities, discuss a broad suite of topics from maternal care and mating behavior, through play, cognition and personality, to adaptation to life in the Anthropocene. The authors explore the behaviors that have allowed these semi-aquatic mammals to thrive in the marine realm. Many populations have recovered following historical decimation, with interesting evolutionary consequences which are explored. Detailed, selected, individual species descriptions are also provided, showcasing the behavioral diversity of this engaging, adaptive and highly successful group of marine mammals.

Book Encyclopedia of Marine Mammals

Download or read book Encyclopedia of Marine Mammals written by Bernd Würsig and published by Academic Press. This book was released on 2017-11-27 with total page 1190 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Encyclopedia of Marine Mammals, Third Edition covers the ecology, behavior, conservation, evolution, form and function of whales, dolphins, seals, sea lions, manatees, dugongs, otters and polar bears. This edition provides new content on anthropogenic concerns, latest information on emerging threats such as ocean noise, and impacts of climate change. With authors and editors who are world experts, this new edition is a critical resource for all who are interested in marine mammals, especially upper level undergraduate and graduate students, researchers, and managers, and is a top reference for those in related fields, from oceanographers to environmental scientists. Significant content and topic updates, as well as the addition of new topics in such areas as anthropogenic disturbance Visual maps of the oceans and seas mentioned in contributions, helping to place the geographical features described in the text with clear, consistent species illustrations Written to help users learn new information or brush up on a topic quickly, with the references at the end of each entry to help guide readers into more specialist literature

Book Tropical Pinnipeds

    Book Details:
  • Author : Juan J. Alava
  • Publisher : CRC Press
  • Release : 2017-07-12
  • ISBN : 1351647636
  • Pages : 285 pages

Download or read book Tropical Pinnipeds written by Juan J. Alava and published by CRC Press. This book was released on 2017-07-12 with total page 285 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Pinnipeds are a fascinating group of marine mammals that play a crucial role as apex predators and sentinels of the functioning and health of marine ecosystems. They are found in the most extreme environments from the Polar regions to the tropics. Pinnipeds are comprised of about 34 species, and of those at least 25% live permanently in tropical zones. This book reviews and updates current research on the biology, marine ecology, bio-monitoring, and conservation of tropical pinniped populations, including their behavior, anthropogenic stressors, and health. It also looks at challenges to be faced for the conservation of tropical pinnipeds, many of which are threatened species.

Book Annual Cycles of Diving Behavior and Ecology of the Weddell Seal

Download or read book Annual Cycles of Diving Behavior and Ecology of the Weddell Seal written by Michael Angelo Castellini and published by Univ of California Press. This book was released on 1992-01-01 with total page 220 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This work details more than ten years of study in the Antarctic on the diving biology of Weddell seals, a species capable of diving over 600 meters and for as long as 82 minutes. The authors focus on seasonal diving patterns and geographical differences and discuss how diving patterns are influenced by the physical and ecological environment of the seals.

Book Movements and diving behavior of weaned Weddell seal  Leptonychotes weddellii  pups

Download or read book Movements and diving behavior of weaned Weddell seal Leptonychotes weddellii pups written by J.M. BURNS and published by . This book was released on 1999 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Book Seasonal Variation in the Physiological Ecology of the Galapagos  Zalophus Wollebaeki  and California  Zalophus Californianus   Sea Lions

Download or read book Seasonal Variation in the Physiological Ecology of the Galapagos Zalophus Wollebaeki and California Zalophus Californianus Sea Lions written by Stella Villegas-Amtmann and published by . This book was released on 2009 with total page 274 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Book The Development of Diving Behavior and Physiology in Juvenile Weddell Seals  Leptonychotes Weddellii  in McMurdo Sound  Antarctica

Download or read book The Development of Diving Behavior and Physiology in Juvenile Weddell Seals Leptonychotes Weddellii in McMurdo Sound Antarctica written by Jennifer Moss Burns and published by . This book was released on 1997 with total page 177 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Book The physiological consequences of breath hold diving in marine mammals  the Scholander legacy

Download or read book The physiological consequences of breath hold diving in marine mammals the Scholander legacy written by Andreas Fahlman and published by Frontiers E-books. This book was released on with total page 155 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Breath-hold diving marine mammals are able to remain submerged for prolonged periods of time and dive to phenomenal depths while foraging. A number of physiological, biochemical and behavioral traits have been suggested that enable this life style, including the diving response, lung collapse, increased O2 stores, diving induced hypometabolism, and stroke-and-glide behavior to reduce dive metabolic cost. Since the initial studies by Scholander in the 1940‘s, when most of the physiological and biochemical traits were suggested, few have received as much study as the diving response and O2 management. The calculated aerobic dive limit (cADL) was an important concept which allowed calculation of the aerobic dive duration, and was defined as the total O2 stores divided by the rate of O2 consumption (metabolic rate). The total O2 stores have been defined for several species, and studies in both forced and freely diving animals have refined the metabolic cost of diving. Currently there appears to be little consensus about whether marine mammals perform a significant proportion of dives exceeding the cADL or not and there may be large differences between species. The diving response is a conserved physiological trait believed to arise from natural selection. The response includes diving-induced bradycardia, peripheral vasoconstriction, and altered blood flow distribution. While the response results in reduced cardiac work, it is not clear whether this is required to reduce the overall metabolic rate. An alternate hypothesis is that the primary role of the diving bradycardia is to regulate the degree of hypoxia in skeletal muscle so that blood and muscle O2 stores can be used more efficiently. Scholander suggested that the respiratory anatomy of marine mammals resulted in alveolar collapse at shallow depths (lung collapse), thereby limiting gas exchange. This trait would limit uptake of N2 and thereby reduce the risk of inert gas bubble formation and decompression sickness. In his initial treatise, Scholander suggested that alveolar collapse probably made inert gas bubble formation unlikely during a single dive, but that repeated dives could result in significant accumulation that could be risky. Despite this, lung collapse has been quoted as the main adaptation by which marine mammals reduce N2 levels and inert gas bubble formation. It was surprising, therefore, when recent necropsy reports from mass stranded whales indicated DCS like symptoms. More recent studies have shown that live marine mammals appear to experience bubbles under certain circumstances. These results raise some interesting questions. For example, are marine mammals ever at risk of DCS, and if so could N2 accumulation limit dive performance? While an impressive number of studies have provided a theoretical framework that explains the mechanistic basis of the diving response, and O2 management, many questions remain, some widely-accepted ideas actually lack sufficient experimental confirmation, and a variety of marine mammal species, potentially novel models for elucidating new diving adaptations, are understudied. The aim of this Frontiers Topic is to provide a synthesis of the current knowledge about the physiological responses of marine mammals that underlie their varied dive behavior. We also include novel contributions that challenge current ideas and that probe new hypotheses, utilize new experimental approaches, and explore new model species. We show that the field has recently entered a phase of renewed discovery that is not only unraveling more secrets of the natural diving response but will drive new applications to aid human exploration of the ocean depths. We also welcome comparative analyses, especially contributions that compare marine mammals with human divers.

Book Journal of Experimental Biology

Download or read book Journal of Experimental Biology written by and published by . This book was released on 2006 with total page 472 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Book Respiratory Physiology of Northern Elephant Seal Pups

Download or read book Respiratory Physiology of Northern Elephant Seal Pups written by Suzanne Kohin and published by . This book was released on 1998 with total page 322 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Book The Ontogeny of Diving in Bottlenose Dolphins  tursiops Truncatus

Download or read book The Ontogeny of Diving in Bottlenose Dolphins tursiops Truncatus written by Shawn Ranee Noren Kramer and published by . This book was released on 2002 with total page 300 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: