Study Finds grey Seals Can Track Blood Oxygen to Prevent Drowning

Marine mammals depend on oxygen to survive, but some species keep underwater for lengthy durations with out respiration. Scientists on the University of St Andrews needed to perceive how grey seals handle their time underwater with out counting on carbon dioxide buildup as a sign. Six grownup grey seals had been positioned in a managed setting to observe their diving patterns. The seals had been solely allowed to floor at a chosen chamber, the place researchers adjusted oxygen and carbon dioxide ranges to take a look at their responses.

Research Confirms Oxygen because the Primary Trigger

According to the examine printed in Science, completely different air compositions had been examined to measure their impact on dive instances. The air within the respiration chamber was adjusted throughout 4 situations: regular air, elevated oxygen, diminished oxygen, and heightened carbon dioxide ranges. When oxygen ranges had been elevated, seals stayed underwater for longer. When oxygen was diminished, they surfaced sooner. Carbon dioxide adjustments didn’t alter their conduct, suggesting that oxygen, not carbon dioxide, determines after they come up for air.

Unique Adaptation in Marine Mammals

Researchers says that grey seals have an inside system to monitor oxygen ranges. This permits them to floor earlier than reaching harmful limits. This capacity prevents drowning and could also be widespread amongst different marine species. Since deep-diving mammals should handle oxygen rigorously, related mechanisms could possibly be current in whales, dolphins and different seals.

Experts Weigh in on the Discovery

Lucy Hawkes from the University of Exeter and Jessica Kendall-Bar from the University of California, San Diego, mentioned the examine’s affect. They famous that understanding this adaptation sheds gentle on how marine mammals survive in excessive underwater situations. Further analysis may discover how this method works in several species and environments.