Deep dives and aortic temperatures of emperor penguins: new directions for bio-logging at the isolated dive hole

• Main Authors: Ponganis,Paul J., Van Dam,Robert P., Knower,Torre, Levenson,David H., Ponganis,Katherine V.
• Format: Report
• Language: English
• Published: Center for Marine Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California/Center for Marine Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California/Center for Marine Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California/Center for Marine Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California/Center for Marine Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California 2004
• Subjects: Aptenodytes forsteri; Emperor penguins; Memoirs of National Institute of Polar Research; Polar Research
• Online Access: https://nipr.repo.nii.ac.jp/?action=repository_uri&item_id=2489; http://id.nii.ac.jp/1291/00002489/; https://nipr.repo.nii.ac.jp/?action=repository_action_common_download&item_id=2489&item_no=1&attribute_id=18&file_no=1

In order to document deep (>100 m) dives and aortic temperature responses of emperor penguins (Aptenodytes forsteri) at an isolated dive hole, and also to evaluate a new catheterization technique, three birds were equipped with time depth recorders, temperature data loggers, and percutaneously-inserted aortic thermistors. After recovery from anesthesia, they were provided access for one day to the dive hole. The birds tolerated the experiment without complication. Mean diving duration (+ SE) of 83 dives was 5.9 + 3.1 min; 55% of dives were > 5.6 min, the previously determined aerobic dive limit; 36% were > 100 m in depth. Mean aortic temperatures during 3-h rest periods ranged from 37.3 + 0.2oC to 38.0 + 0.1oC. Mean dive temperature did not correlate with dive duration, and the grand mean of mean dive temperatures in each bird ranged from 38.3 + 0.2oC to 39.0 + 0.2oC; there was no evidence of core hypothermia during dives. Reliable, safe catheterizations, and the large percentage of deep/long dives of these birds should provide the basis both for future studies of pressure adaptation and hypoxemic tolerance in diving emperor penguins, and for investigation of deep-dive foraging behavior.