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Buoyancy does not affect diving metabolism during shallow dives in steller sea lions Eumetopias jubatus

Publication ,  Journal Article
Fahlman, A; Hastie, GD; Rosen, DAS; Naito, Y; Trites, AW
Published in: Aquatic Biology
December 1, 2008

Changes in buoyancy due to seasonal or abnormal changes in body composition are thought to significantly affect the energy budget of marine mammals through changes in diving costs. We assessed how changes in body composition might alter the foraging efficiency of Steller sea lions Eumetopias jubatus by artificially adjusting the buoyancy of trained individuals. PVC tubes were attached to harnesses worn by Steller sea lions that had been trained to feed at fixed depths (10 to 30 m) and to resurface inside a metabolic dome. Buoyancy was altered to simulate the naturally occurring differences in body composition reported in adult females (~12 to 26% subcutaneous fat). Diving characteristics (transit times and time at depth) and aerobic energy expenditure (gas exchange) were measured. We found that foraging cost decreased with the duration of the dive and increased with dive depth. However, changes in body composition did not affect the diving metabolic rate of Steller sea lions for dives between 10 and 30 m. We propose that Steller sea lions may adjust their diving lung volume to compensate for changes in buoyancy to avoid additional metabolic costs. © Inter-Research 2008.

Duke Scholars

Published In

Aquatic Biology

DOI

EISSN

1864-7790

ISSN

1864-7782

Publication Date

December 1, 2008

Volume

3

Issue

2

Start / End Page

147 / 154

Related Subject Headings

  • Marine Biology & Hydrobiology
  • 3103 Ecology
  • 3005 Fisheries sciences
  • 0704 Fisheries Sciences
  • 0602 Ecology
 

Citation

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Fahlman, A., Hastie, G. D., Rosen, D. A. S., Naito, Y., & Trites, A. W. (2008). Buoyancy does not affect diving metabolism during shallow dives in steller sea lions Eumetopias jubatus. Aquatic Biology, 3(2), 147–154. https://doi.org/10.3354/ab00074
Fahlman, A., G. D. Hastie, D. A. S. Rosen, Y. Naito, and A. W. Trites. “Buoyancy does not affect diving metabolism during shallow dives in steller sea lions Eumetopias jubatus.” Aquatic Biology 3, no. 2 (December 1, 2008): 147–54. https://doi.org/10.3354/ab00074.
Fahlman A, Hastie GD, Rosen DAS, Naito Y, Trites AW. Buoyancy does not affect diving metabolism during shallow dives in steller sea lions Eumetopias jubatus. Aquatic Biology. 2008 Dec 1;3(2):147–54.
Fahlman, A., et al. “Buoyancy does not affect diving metabolism during shallow dives in steller sea lions Eumetopias jubatus.” Aquatic Biology, vol. 3, no. 2, Dec. 2008, pp. 147–54. Scopus, doi:10.3354/ab00074.
Fahlman A, Hastie GD, Rosen DAS, Naito Y, Trites AW. Buoyancy does not affect diving metabolism during shallow dives in steller sea lions Eumetopias jubatus. Aquatic Biology. 2008 Dec 1;3(2):147–154.
Journal cover image

Published In

Aquatic Biology

DOI

EISSN

1864-7790

ISSN

1864-7782

Publication Date

December 1, 2008

Volume

3

Issue

2

Start / End Page

147 / 154

Related Subject Headings

  • Marine Biology & Hydrobiology
  • 3103 Ecology
  • 3005 Fisheries sciences
  • 0704 Fisheries Sciences
  • 0602 Ecology