Study Finds grey Seals Can Track Blood Oxygen to Prevent Drowning

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

Analysis Confirms Oxygen because the Main Set off

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

Distinctive Adaptation in Marine Mammals

Researchers says that gray seals have an inside system to trace oxygen ranges. This permits them to floor earlier than reaching harmful limits. This potential prevents drowning and could also be frequent amongst different marine species. Since deep-diving mammals should handle oxygen fastidiously, related mechanisms may very well be current in whales, dolphins and different seals.

Specialists Weigh in on the Discovery

Lucy Hawkes from the College of Exeter and Jessica Kendall-Bar from the College 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. Additional analysis may discover how this method works in numerous species and environments.