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How man-made interference might cause gas bubble emboli in deep diving whales
Andreas Fahlman1, Peter L Tyack2, Patrick J O Miller2
1Department of Life Sciences, Texas A&M University Corpus Christi Corpus Christi, TX, USA.
Frontiers in Physiology
|January 31, 2014
Summary
Anthropogenic sonar may harm marine mammals by increasing nitrogen (N2) levels during dives, potentially causing decompression sickness (DCS). Deep diving appears to elevate N2 tension more than shallow diving, increasing risks.
Area of Science:
- Marine biology
- Bioacoustics
- Physiology
Background:
- Recent mass cetacean strandings coincide with sonar activity.
- Necropsies reveal bubbles, suggesting decompression sickness (DCS) in marine mammals.
- Anthropogenic sound may disrupt diving behaviors and physiology, increasing DCS risk.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if altered dive behavior or physiological responses to sonar increase DCS risk in marine mammals.
- To estimate changes in blood and tissue nitrogen tension (PN2) in various whale species exposed to sonar.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of dive data from sperm, killer, long-finned pilot, Blainville's beaked, and Cuvier's beaked whales.
- Estimation of PN2 changes during exposure to low- and mid-frequency active sonar.
- Theoretical modeling of N2 tension under different dive profiles and physiological conditions.
Main Results:
- Theoretical estimates indicate all studied whale species may experience high N2 levels.
- Deep dives unexpectedly resulted in higher end-dive PN2 compared to shallow dives.
- Several hypotheses are proposed for elevated N2, including CO2 bubble precursors, prolonged gas exchange at depth, and slow N2 accumulation in adipose tissue.
Conclusions:
- Dive behavior and physiological responses to sonar are plausible risk factors for bubble formation in marine mammals.
- Deep diving may increase susceptibility to DCS due to higher N2 accumulation.
- Further research is needed to understand the mechanisms linking sonar, diving, and DCS in cetaceans.
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