Oxygen stores and aerobic dive limit of ringed seals (Phoca hispida)

Abstract

In this paper we measured total lung capacity, myoglobin content of muscle tissue, and hemoglobin content of the blood of ringed seals (Phoca hispida). Based on this information and body composition analysis we estimated the total available oxygen stores of a diving average adult ringed seal (standard length 129 cm, body mass 73.7 kg) to be 4.5 L. The aerobic dive limit for a ringed seal of this size was estimated to be 8.9 min. Diving data from previous studies show that less than 4% of the dives of adult free-living ringed seals exceed this aerobic dive limit. Based on information from the literature on maximum breathhold capacity and observed maximum dive times of ringed and Weddell seals (Leptonychotes weddellii), the maximum breathhold capacity of adult ringed seals was suggested to be 26.1 min.