Energy expenditure of southern right whales varies with body size, reproductive state and activity level

Fredrik Christiansen; Kate R. Sprogis; Mia L.K. Nielsen; Maria Glarou; Lars Bejder

doi:10.1242/jeb.245137

Energy expenditure of southern right whales varies with body size, reproductive state and activity level

Fredrik Christiansen^*, Kate R. Sprogis, Mia L.K. Nielsen, Maria Glarou, Lars Bejder

^*Corresponding author for this work

Department of Ecoscience - Marine Mammal Research 1

Research output: Contribution to journal/Conference contribution in journal/Contribution to newspaper › Journal article › Research › peer-review

7 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Quantifying the energy expenditure of animals is critical to understanding the cost of anthropogenic disturbance relative to their overall energy requirements. We used novel drone focal follows (776 follows, 185 individuals) and aerial photogrammetry (5372 measurements, 791 individuals) to measure the respiration rate and body condition loss of southern right whales (Eubalaena australis) on a breeding ground in Australia. Respiration rates were converted to oxygen consumption rate and field metabolic rate (FMR) using published bioenergetic models. The intra-seasonal loss in body condition of different reproductive classes (calves, juveniles, adults, pregnant and lactating females) was converted to blubber energy loss and total energy expenditure (TEE). Using these two metrics, we tested the effects of body size, reproductive state and activity level on right whale energy expenditure. Respiration rates and mass-specific FMR decreased exponentially with an increase in body size, as expected based on allometric scaling. FMR increased curvilinearly with an increase in swim speed, probably as a result of increased drag and increased locomotion costs. Respiration rates and FMR were 44% higher for pregnant and lactating females compared with those of adults, suggesting significant costs of fetal maintenance and milk production, respectively. The estimated FMR of adults based on their respiration rates corresponded well with the estimated TEE based on body condition loss. The rate of decline in body condition of pregnant and lactating females was considerably higher than expected based on respiration rates, which probably reflects the milk energy transfer from mothers to calves, which is not reflected in their FMR.

Original language	English
Article number	jeb245137
Journal	Journal of Experimental Biology
Volume	226
Issue	13
Number of pages	16
ISSN	0022-0949
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1242/jeb.245137
Publication status	Published - Jul 2023

Keywords

Aerial photogrammetry
Baleen whale
Bioenergetics
Drones
Field metabolic rate
Total energy expenditure

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title = "Energy expenditure of southern right whales varies with body size, reproductive state and activity level",

abstract = "Quantifying the energy expenditure of animals is critical to understanding the cost of anthropogenic disturbance relative to their overall energy requirements. We used novel drone focal follows (776 follows, 185 individuals) and aerial photogrammetry (5372 measurements, 791 individuals) to measure the respiration rate and body condition loss of southern right whales (Eubalaena australis) on a breeding ground in Australia. Respiration rates were converted to oxygen consumption rate and field metabolic rate (FMR) using published bioenergetic models. The intra-seasonal loss in body condition of different reproductive classes (calves, juveniles, adults, pregnant and lactating females) was converted to blubber energy loss and total energy expenditure (TEE). Using these two metrics, we tested the effects of body size, reproductive state and activity level on right whale energy expenditure. Respiration rates and mass-specific FMR decreased exponentially with an increase in body size, as expected based on allometric scaling. FMR increased curvilinearly with an increase in swim speed, probably as a result of increased drag and increased locomotion costs. Respiration rates and FMR were 44% higher for pregnant and lactating females compared with those of adults, suggesting significant costs of fetal maintenance and milk production, respectively. The estimated FMR of adults based on their respiration rates corresponded well with the estimated TEE based on body condition loss. The rate of decline in body condition of pregnant and lactating females was considerably higher than expected based on respiration rates, which probably reflects the milk energy transfer from mothers to calves, which is not reflected in their FMR.",

keywords = "Aerial photogrammetry, Baleen whale, Bioenergetics, Drones, Field metabolic rate, Total energy expenditure",

author = "Fredrik Christiansen and Sprogis, {Kate R.} and Nielsen, {Mia L.K.} and Maria Glarou and Lars Bejder",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2023. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.",

year = "2023",

month = jul,

doi = "10.1242/jeb.245137",

language = "English",

volume = "226",

journal = "Journal of Experimental Biology",

issn = "0022-0949",

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Energy expenditure of southern right whales varies with body size, reproductive state and activity level. / Christiansen, Fredrik; Sprogis, Kate R.; Nielsen, Mia L.K. et al.
In: Journal of Experimental Biology, Vol. 226, No. 13, jeb245137, 07.2023.

Research output: Contribution to journal/Conference contribution in journal/Contribution to newspaper › Journal article › Research › peer-review

TY - JOUR

T1 - Energy expenditure of southern right whales varies with body size, reproductive state and activity level

AU - Christiansen, Fredrik

AU - Sprogis, Kate R.

AU - Nielsen, Mia L.K.

AU - Glarou, Maria

AU - Bejder, Lars

PY - 2023/7

Y1 - 2023/7

N2 - Quantifying the energy expenditure of animals is critical to understanding the cost of anthropogenic disturbance relative to their overall energy requirements. We used novel drone focal follows (776 follows, 185 individuals) and aerial photogrammetry (5372 measurements, 791 individuals) to measure the respiration rate and body condition loss of southern right whales (Eubalaena australis) on a breeding ground in Australia. Respiration rates were converted to oxygen consumption rate and field metabolic rate (FMR) using published bioenergetic models. The intra-seasonal loss in body condition of different reproductive classes (calves, juveniles, adults, pregnant and lactating females) was converted to blubber energy loss and total energy expenditure (TEE). Using these two metrics, we tested the effects of body size, reproductive state and activity level on right whale energy expenditure. Respiration rates and mass-specific FMR decreased exponentially with an increase in body size, as expected based on allometric scaling. FMR increased curvilinearly with an increase in swim speed, probably as a result of increased drag and increased locomotion costs. Respiration rates and FMR were 44% higher for pregnant and lactating females compared with those of adults, suggesting significant costs of fetal maintenance and milk production, respectively. The estimated FMR of adults based on their respiration rates corresponded well with the estimated TEE based on body condition loss. The rate of decline in body condition of pregnant and lactating females was considerably higher than expected based on respiration rates, which probably reflects the milk energy transfer from mothers to calves, which is not reflected in their FMR.

AB - Quantifying the energy expenditure of animals is critical to understanding the cost of anthropogenic disturbance relative to their overall energy requirements. We used novel drone focal follows (776 follows, 185 individuals) and aerial photogrammetry (5372 measurements, 791 individuals) to measure the respiration rate and body condition loss of southern right whales (Eubalaena australis) on a breeding ground in Australia. Respiration rates were converted to oxygen consumption rate and field metabolic rate (FMR) using published bioenergetic models. The intra-seasonal loss in body condition of different reproductive classes (calves, juveniles, adults, pregnant and lactating females) was converted to blubber energy loss and total energy expenditure (TEE). Using these two metrics, we tested the effects of body size, reproductive state and activity level on right whale energy expenditure. Respiration rates and mass-specific FMR decreased exponentially with an increase in body size, as expected based on allometric scaling. FMR increased curvilinearly with an increase in swim speed, probably as a result of increased drag and increased locomotion costs. Respiration rates and FMR were 44% higher for pregnant and lactating females compared with those of adults, suggesting significant costs of fetal maintenance and milk production, respectively. The estimated FMR of adults based on their respiration rates corresponded well with the estimated TEE based on body condition loss. The rate of decline in body condition of pregnant and lactating females was considerably higher than expected based on respiration rates, which probably reflects the milk energy transfer from mothers to calves, which is not reflected in their FMR.

KW - Aerial photogrammetry

KW - Baleen whale

KW - Bioenergetics

KW - Drones

KW - Field metabolic rate

KW - Total energy expenditure

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DO - 10.1242/jeb.245137

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 37326244

AN - SCOPUS:85166767744

SN - 0022-0949

VL - 226

JO - Journal of Experimental Biology

JF - Journal of Experimental Biology

IS - 13

M1 - jeb245137

ER -

Energy expenditure of southern right whales varies with body size, reproductive state and activity level

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Keywords

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