Hypothermia as an adaptation for energy conservation during periods of malnutrition

在海洋生态系统中，气候变化可能导致食物供应减少和恶劣天气事件增加。生活在这些条件下的动物需要适应对生长、生存和生殖健康至关重要的生理过程。生态能量学的一个基本过程是体温调节，海燕对营养不良的反应是体温过低。本研究的目的是通过研究孵化中的(禁食)成鸟和依赖父母提供从而经历不可预测的身体储备变化的雏鸟的体温调节模式，来加强我们对海鸟对可预测和不可预测的供应变化的适应的理解。我们将确定温度调节适应，以帮助雏鸟依赖不频繁的喂养来实现正能量平衡，并将研究成鸟在一年周期的关键事件中的温度调节，即孵化期间的禁食和雏鸟的孵化。使用RFID温度记录和CaloBox代谢率测量，我们将确定通过降低体温可以节省多少能量。我们还将确定这将对雏鸟的发展产生什么后果。作为研究体温过低的模式物种，我们将研究薄嘴海鸟，这是一种在寒冷天气条件下繁殖的小型海鸟，在亚南极海洋环境中受到食物供应波动的影响。

In marine ecosystems, climate change may result in reduced food availability and increased severe weather events. Animals living under these conditions need to adapt the physiological processes that are crucial to the growth, survival, and reproductive fitness. One fundamental process in ecological energetics is thermoregulation, and petrels use hypothermia in response to malnutrition. The aim of the present study is to enhance our understanding of the adaptation of seabirds to predictable and unpredictable variability in provisioning, by investigating thermoregulation patterns of incubating (fasting) adults that undergo predictable reductions in body reserves, and nestlings that depend on parental provisioning and thus experience unpredictable variability in body reserves. We will identify thermoregulatory adaptations that help nestlings depending on infrequent feedings to achieve a positive energy balance, and will study adult thermoregulation during key events in the annual cycle, namely fasting during incubation and the hatching of the chick. Using RFID temperature recording and CaloBox metabolic rate measurements, we will determine how much energy can be saved by lowering body temperatures. We will also determine what consequences this will have for the development of the nestling. As model species for the study of hypothermia we will study Thin-billed prions, a small seabird species breeding in cold weather conditions and subject to fluctuating food availability in the sub-antarctic marine environment.