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Science 7 April 2000:
Vol. 288. no. 5463, pp. 133 - 136
DOI: 10.1126/science.288.5463.133
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Reports

Sink or Swim: Strategies for Cost-Efficient Diving by Marine Mammals

Terrie M. Williams, 1* R. W. Davis, 2 L. A. Fuiman, 3 J. Francis, 4 B. J. Le Boeuf , 1 M. Horning, 2 J. Calambokidis, 5 D. A. Croll 6

Locomotor activity by diving marine mammals is accomplished while breath-holding and often exceeds predicted aerobic capacities. Video sequences of freely diving seals and whales wearing submersible cameras reveal a behavioral strategy that improves energetic efficiency in these animals. Prolonged gliding (greater than 78% descent duration) occurred during dives exceeding 80 meters in depth. Gliding was attributed to buoyancy changes with lung compression at depth. By modifying locomotor patterns to take advantage of these physical changes, Weddell seals realized a 9.2 to 59.6% reduction in diving energetic costs. This energy-conserving strategy allows marine mammals to increase aerobic dive duration and achieve remarkable depths despite limited oxygen availability when submerged.

1 Department of Biology, EMS-A316, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA.
2 Department of Marine Biology, Texas A&M University, 5007 Avenue U, Galveston, TX 77553, USA.
3 Department of Marine Science, University of Texas at Austin, 750 Channel View Drive, Port Aransas, TX 78373, USA.
4 Committee for Research and Exploration, National Geographic Society, 1145 17th Street NW, Washington, DC 20036, USA.
5 Cascadia Research, 2181/2 West Fourth Avenue, Olympia, WA 98501, USA.
6 Institute of Marine Science, EMS-A316, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA.
*   To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: williams{at}darwin.ucsc.edu

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