Adaptations to diving in the harbor seal— gas exchange and ventilatory response to CO2

Abstract

Pulmonary gas exchange and the ventilatory response to CO2 were measured in six female harbor seals, Phoca vitulina. Mean Paco2 (48 ± 6 mm Hg) is higher in the seal and mean Pao2 (88 ± 9 mm Hg) is lower than the corresponding value in man. The seal shows a depressed ventilatory response to CO2 both in terms of slope and intercept of CO2 response curves. The depressed respiratory center sensitivity to CO2 presumably is an adaptative mechanism permitting prolonged diving in this species.