Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Diving development in nursing harbour seal pups.

C Jørgensen1, C Lydersen, O Brix

  • 1Norwegian Polar Institute, Polar Environmental Center, N-9296 Tromsø, Norway.

The Journal of Experimental Biology
|January 25, 2002
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Validation of a new fluidic device for mechanical stimulation and characterization of microspheres: A first step towards cartilage characterization.

Materials science & engineering. C, Materials for biological applications·2021
Same author

Male Antarctic fur seals: neglected food competitors of bioindicator species in the context of an increasing Antarctic krill fishery.

Scientific reports·2020
Same author

Narwhals require targeted conservation.

Science (New York, N.Y.)·2020
Same author

Identification of TGFβ signatures in six murine models mimicking different osteoarthritis clinical phenotypes.

Osteoarthritis and cartilage·2020
Same author

PPARβ/δ-dependent MSC metabolism determines their immunoregulatory properties.

Scientific reports·2020
Same author

Mesenchymal stem cells-derived cartilage micropellets: A relevant in vitro model for biomechanical and mechanobiological studies of cartilage growth.

Materials science & engineering. C, Materials for biological applications·2020

Harbour seal pups develop diving skills through experience and learning, not physiological changes. Their ability to dive deeper and longer increases with age, driven by behavioral adaptations rather than blood oxygen stores.

Area of Science:

  • Marine Mammal Biology
  • Physiological Ecology
  • Behavioral Ecology

Background:

  • Neonatal diving development is crucial for marine mammals.
  • Understanding the interplay between physiology and behavior in early life stages is key.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate physiological and behavioral factors influencing diving development in harbor seal pups.
  • To determine the rate-limiting factors for the ontogeny of diving skills in neonates.

Main Methods:

  • Deployed time/depth recorders on 13 harbor seal pups (0-19 days old) to collect 4280 hours of behavioral data.
  • Conducted physiological measurements on 8 pups, assessing blood oxygen stores and body composition.
  • Analyzed dive characteristics (depth, duration, U-shaped dives) and correlated them with age and physiological data.

Related Experiment Videos

Main Results:

  • Pups increased in weight and body fat percentage during the study.
  • While blood oxygen stores (hemoglobin) decreased relative to body mass, behavioral diving indicators improved significantly with age.
  • Less than 1% of dives exceeded the calculated aerobic dive limit, suggesting physiological capacity was not a constraint.

Conclusions:

  • Physiological development of blood oxygen stores does not limit neonatal diving ability in harbor seals.
  • Behavioral modifications, including experience and learning, appear to be the primary drivers of diving skill development in young seals.