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Updated: Jul 11, 2026

Training Rats to Voluntarily Dive Underwater: Investigations of the Mammalian Diving Response
Published on: November 12, 2014
Do seasonal changes in metabolic rate facilitate changes in diving behaviour?
J A Green1, I L Boyd, A J Woakes
1School of Biosciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK. j.a.green@bham.ac.uk
Macaroni penguins dive deeper and longer in winter, showing increased diving capacity. This is facilitated by reduced oxygen consumption, not just lower body temperature, potentially due to fat stores or foraging changes.
Area of Science:
- Marine Biology
- Animal Physiology
- Ecology
Background:
- Macaroni penguins exhibit seasonal variations in diving behavior.
- Understanding physiological adaptations is key to their survival during migration.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate seasonal differences in macaroni penguin diving behavior and physiology.
- To determine the factors influencing changes in oxygen consumption and diving capacity.
Main Methods:
- Implantation of data loggers in macaroni penguins to record heart rate, abdominal temperature, and dive depth.
- Estimation of oxygen consumption rates from heart rate data.
- Analysis of diving patterns and physiological parameters during summer and winter migration.
Main Results:
- Penguins displayed significantly greater dive duration and depth in winter compared to summer.
- Oxygen consumption during dive cycles (sVO2DC) and minimum oxygen consumption (sVO2min) declined as winter progressed.
- Net cost of diving remained constant, suggesting reduced metabolic rate facilitated increased diving capacity.
Conclusions:
- Increased winter diving capacity in macaroni penguins is linked to decreased sVO2min, not solely abdominal temperature changes.
- Modifications in fat stores or foraging locations may explain the observed reduction in oxygen consumption.
- These adaptations allow penguins to meet the energetic demands of winter migration.
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