Behaviour and buoyancy regulation in the deepest-diving reptile : the leatherback turtle
In the face of the physical and physiological challenges of performing breath-hold deep dives, marine vertebrates have evolved different strategies. Although behavioural strategies in marine mammals and seabirds have been investigated in detail, little is known about the deepest-diving reptile – the...
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ftdeakinunifig:oai:figshare.com:article/20953780 2023-05-15T16:05:45+02:00 Behaviour and buoyancy regulation in the deepest-diving reptile : the leatherback turtle S Fossette A Gleiss A Myers S Garner N Liebsch N Whitney Graeme Hays R Wilson M Lutcavage 2010-12-01T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/10536/DRO/DU:30058310 https://figshare.com/articles/journal_contribution/Behaviour_and_buoyancy_regulation_in_the_deepest-diving_reptile_the_leatherback_turtle/20953780 unknown http://hdl.handle.net/10536/DRO/DU:30058310 https://figshare.com/articles/journal_contribution/Behaviour_and_buoyancy_regulation_in_the_deepest-diving_reptile_the_leatherback_turtle/20953780 All Rights Reserved Uncategorized gas solubility endotherm accelerometer Boyle's law cost of swimming body density Science & Technology Life Sciences & Biomedicine Biology Life Sciences & Biomedicine - Other Topics FLIPPER BEAT FREQUENCY DERMOCHELYS-CORIACEA GREEN TURTLES SEA-TURTLES DIVE PROFILES MOVEMENT PATTERNS STROKE PATTERNS ELEPHANT SEALS CHELONIA-MYDAS METABOLIC-RATE Text Journal contribution 2010 ftdeakinunifig 2022-11-17T21:48:11Z In the face of the physical and physiological challenges of performing breath-hold deep dives, marine vertebrates have evolved different strategies. Although behavioural strategies in marine mammals and seabirds have been investigated in detail, little is known about the deepest-diving reptile – the leatherback turtle (Dermochelys coriacea). Here, we deployed tri-axial accelerometers on female leatherbacks nesting on St Croix, US Virgin Islands, to explore their diving strategy. Our results show a consistent behavioural pattern within dives among individuals, with an initial period of active swimming at relatively steep descent angles (∼–40 deg), with a stroke frequency of 0.32 Hz, followed by a gliding phase. The depth at which the gliding phase began increased with the maximum depth of the dives. In addition, descent body angles and vertical velocities were higher during deeper dives. Leatherbacks might thus regulate their inspired air-volume according to the intended dive depth, similar to hard-shelled turtles and penguins. During the ascent, turtles actively swam with a stroke frequency of 0.30 Hz but with a low vertical velocity (∼0.40 ms–1) and a low pitch angle (∼+26 deg). Turtles might avoid succumbing to decompression sickness (‘the bends’) by ascending slowly to the surface. In addition, we suggest that the low body temperature of this marine ectotherm compared with that of endotherms might help reduce the risk of bubble formation by increasing the solubility of nitrogen in the blood. This physiological advantage, coupled with several behavioural and physical adaptations, might explain the particular ecological niche the leatherback turtle occupies among marine reptiles. Other Non-Article Part of Journal/Newspaper Elephant Seals DRO - Deakin Research Online |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
DRO - Deakin Research Online |
op_collection_id |
ftdeakinunifig |
language |
unknown |
topic |
Uncategorized gas solubility endotherm accelerometer Boyle's law cost of swimming body density Science & Technology Life Sciences & Biomedicine Biology Life Sciences & Biomedicine - Other Topics FLIPPER BEAT FREQUENCY DERMOCHELYS-CORIACEA GREEN TURTLES SEA-TURTLES DIVE PROFILES MOVEMENT PATTERNS STROKE PATTERNS ELEPHANT SEALS CHELONIA-MYDAS METABOLIC-RATE |
spellingShingle |
Uncategorized gas solubility endotherm accelerometer Boyle's law cost of swimming body density Science & Technology Life Sciences & Biomedicine Biology Life Sciences & Biomedicine - Other Topics FLIPPER BEAT FREQUENCY DERMOCHELYS-CORIACEA GREEN TURTLES SEA-TURTLES DIVE PROFILES MOVEMENT PATTERNS STROKE PATTERNS ELEPHANT SEALS CHELONIA-MYDAS METABOLIC-RATE S Fossette A Gleiss A Myers S Garner N Liebsch N Whitney Graeme Hays R Wilson M Lutcavage Behaviour and buoyancy regulation in the deepest-diving reptile : the leatherback turtle |
topic_facet |
Uncategorized gas solubility endotherm accelerometer Boyle's law cost of swimming body density Science & Technology Life Sciences & Biomedicine Biology Life Sciences & Biomedicine - Other Topics FLIPPER BEAT FREQUENCY DERMOCHELYS-CORIACEA GREEN TURTLES SEA-TURTLES DIVE PROFILES MOVEMENT PATTERNS STROKE PATTERNS ELEPHANT SEALS CHELONIA-MYDAS METABOLIC-RATE |
description |
In the face of the physical and physiological challenges of performing breath-hold deep dives, marine vertebrates have evolved different strategies. Although behavioural strategies in marine mammals and seabirds have been investigated in detail, little is known about the deepest-diving reptile – the leatherback turtle (Dermochelys coriacea). Here, we deployed tri-axial accelerometers on female leatherbacks nesting on St Croix, US Virgin Islands, to explore their diving strategy. Our results show a consistent behavioural pattern within dives among individuals, with an initial period of active swimming at relatively steep descent angles (∼–40 deg), with a stroke frequency of 0.32 Hz, followed by a gliding phase. The depth at which the gliding phase began increased with the maximum depth of the dives. In addition, descent body angles and vertical velocities were higher during deeper dives. Leatherbacks might thus regulate their inspired air-volume according to the intended dive depth, similar to hard-shelled turtles and penguins. During the ascent, turtles actively swam with a stroke frequency of 0.30 Hz but with a low vertical velocity (∼0.40 ms–1) and a low pitch angle (∼+26 deg). Turtles might avoid succumbing to decompression sickness (‘the bends’) by ascending slowly to the surface. In addition, we suggest that the low body temperature of this marine ectotherm compared with that of endotherms might help reduce the risk of bubble formation by increasing the solubility of nitrogen in the blood. This physiological advantage, coupled with several behavioural and physical adaptations, might explain the particular ecological niche the leatherback turtle occupies among marine reptiles. |
format |
Other Non-Article Part of Journal/Newspaper |
author |
S Fossette A Gleiss A Myers S Garner N Liebsch N Whitney Graeme Hays R Wilson M Lutcavage |
author_facet |
S Fossette A Gleiss A Myers S Garner N Liebsch N Whitney Graeme Hays R Wilson M Lutcavage |
author_sort |
S Fossette |
title |
Behaviour and buoyancy regulation in the deepest-diving reptile : the leatherback turtle |
title_short |
Behaviour and buoyancy regulation in the deepest-diving reptile : the leatherback turtle |
title_full |
Behaviour and buoyancy regulation in the deepest-diving reptile : the leatherback turtle |
title_fullStr |
Behaviour and buoyancy regulation in the deepest-diving reptile : the leatherback turtle |
title_full_unstemmed |
Behaviour and buoyancy regulation in the deepest-diving reptile : the leatherback turtle |
title_sort |
behaviour and buoyancy regulation in the deepest-diving reptile : the leatherback turtle |
publishDate |
2010 |
url |
http://hdl.handle.net/10536/DRO/DU:30058310 https://figshare.com/articles/journal_contribution/Behaviour_and_buoyancy_regulation_in_the_deepest-diving_reptile_the_leatherback_turtle/20953780 |
genre |
Elephant Seals |
genre_facet |
Elephant Seals |
op_relation |
http://hdl.handle.net/10536/DRO/DU:30058310 https://figshare.com/articles/journal_contribution/Behaviour_and_buoyancy_regulation_in_the_deepest-diving_reptile_the_leatherback_turtle/20953780 |
op_rights |
All Rights Reserved |
_version_ |
1766401642487349248 |