Field and Laboratory Metabolism and Thermoregulation in Rhinoceros Auklets

Overview

Journal PeerJ

Specialties Biology
Environmental Health
General Medicine

Date 2021 May 28

PMID 34046263

Citations 1

Authors

Aika Umeyama

Yasuaki Niizuma

Masaki Shirai

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Seabirds spend most of their lives at sea, except when visiting their breeding sites. Since the thermal conductivity of water is 25 times higher than that of air, seabirds resting on water lose heat and expend a considerable amount of energy for thermoregulation. For example, rhinoceros auklet (), a medium-sized (480620 g) alcid, spends most of its time floating on the sea. In order to estimate the cost of this behavior in terms of their daily energy expenditure (DEE), we studied rhinoceros auklets breeding on Teuri Island, Hokkaido Japan. We measured their resting metabolic rate (RMR) in air and on water by respirometry, and estimated their DEE by the doubly labeled water method. While RMR on water did not vary significantly between 10C and 15C, it was significantly higher at 5C. Air temperature (5.020.0C) had no effect on RMR. The DEE of free-ranging auklets averaged 1,005.5kJday (130.2, =3). Our results indicate that RMRs are elevated for auklets resting on water, particularly below their lower critical temperature (LCT), compared with in air. Accordingly, spending time above their LCT on water at any time of year will provide enhanced benefits, particularly to seabirds such as rhinoceros auklets which rest a considerable amount of time on water.

Citing Articles

Resting costs too: the relative importance of active and resting energy expenditure in a sub-arctic seabird.

Tremblay F, Whelan S, Choy E, Hatch S, Elliott K J Exp Biol. 2022; 225(4).

PMID: 35019973 PMC: 8920031. DOI: 10.1242/jeb.243548.

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