High Feeding Costs Limit Dive Time Essay

Despite their massive appearance, the largest whales (and in addition the largest predators) have shorter pick time compared to other small fishes. Our hypothesis is that lunge-feeding (the whales feeding demeanor), is energetically expensive resulting to inability to plop at lower depths and at yearlong time intervals. This conceive is aimed at determining how and why the largest whales exhibit shorter dives by examining how lunge-feeding affects their behavior and dive duration. MethodsIn order to determine how and why the largest whales exhibit shorter dive times compared to other fishes, we have to study how its lunge-feeding behavior affects whales overall behavior and their dive time limit. In gathering data, we used remote sensing techniques. In this experiment, we used the TDR time/depth recorders technique since it is the most applicable method considering that the subjects were not in a controlled environment. The TDRs actually recorded the oxygen level of each tagge d whale. After almost time, the TDRs were collected and the results were examine through specialized software that translates the data from the TDRs.Results showed that the whales move faster when at the ascent (or climbing) portion of the dive while it showed that whales move significantly slower during descent. Recovery time spent at the egress was also viewed as an important factor in determining the effect of lunge-feeding. Our tests showed that there is a correlation between the number of lunges and the time spent recovering at the surface. Finally, using optimality models, we were able to compare the results of the actual study to the predicted outcome.The result was a common cost for lunge dives which indicated the high goose egg cost during lunge dives resulting to shorter dive duration. Results and Discussion Results of this experiment showed that there is a relationship between the number of lunges and the surface recovery intervals. The TDR outline showed that whales move faster during ascent and move significantly slower when at descent. This indicated that lunge-feeding is energetically expensive. We were able to measurement the high energy cost of lunge-feeding using the remote sensing technique.Whales usually recover at the surface after each dive and the length of stay at the surface is relative to the number of lunges it makes during the dive. The more than lunges the whales make during feeding, the more time it spent at the surface for recovery. The optimality models showed the relative differences between the lunging-costly model versus the no-cost model. In the lunging-costly model, observed forage depths, vertical speed, number of lunges, time spent recovering at the surface, are some of the variables that were examined to provide an outright solution. ConclusionBased on the results of this experiment, it has been found out that lunge-feeding in large whales is an energetically expensive activity. Using the TDR technique to record t he energy cost of lunge, we were able to deduce that the more lunges a whale makes, the more time it spends recovering at the surface, usually regaining oxygen levels. Therefore, the high energy requirements of lunge-feeding limit the dive time and depth of dive in large whales. Reference Acevedo-Gutierrez, A. , Croll, D. A. , and Tershy, B. R. (2002). High victuals Costs Limit Dive Time in the Largest Whales. The Journal of Experimental Biology, 205, 1747-1753.