Physiological control of diving behaviour in Otariid seals

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When foraging at sea, the behaviour of diving vertebrates such as marine mammals is characterized by long underwater times interspersed with short surface intervals. At its root, the entire study of marine mammal diving physiology has centered on what forces determine the timing of these two behavioural events. My research explores how physiological mechanisms and foraging requirements interact to formulate foraging behaviour in marine mammals. Specifically, my research has focused on the diving physiology and energetics of a 'model' otariid, the Steller sea lion (Eumetopias jubatus). Our unique experimental setup uses trained sea lions swimming, diving, and foraging on artificial prey fields in the open ocean. In addition to permitting detailed physiological measurements during a range of natural diving behaviours, it also allows us to manipulate foraging conditions to more accurately understand the interaction between the environment and the individual animal. We hereby propose three specific, interconnected courses of research to be undertaken.