A mathematical model, based on current knowledge of gas exchange and physiology of marine mammals,
was used to predict blood and tissue tension N2 (PN2 ) using field data from three beaked whale species:
northern bottlenose whales, Cuvier’s beaked whales, and Blainville’s beaked whales. The objective was
to determine if physiology (body mass, diving lung volume, dive response) or dive behaviour (dive depth
and duration, changes in ascent rate, diel behaviour) would lead to differences in PN2 levels and thereby
decompression sickness (DCS) risk between species. Diving lung volume and extent of the dive response
had a large effect on end-dive PN2 . The dive profile had a larger influence on end-dive PN2 than body mass
differences between species. Despite diel changes in dive behaviour, PN2 levels showed no consistent trend.
Model output suggested that all three species live with tissue PN2 levels that would cause a significant
proportion of DCS cases in terrestrial mammals. Cuvier’s beaked whale diving behaviour appears to put
them at higher risk than the other species, which may explain their prevalence in strandings after the use
of mid-frequency sonar.
© 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
A mathematical model, based on current knowledge of gas exchange and physiology of marine mammals,was used to predict blood and tissue tension N2 (PN2 ) using field data from three beaked whale species:northern bottlenose whales, Cuvier’s beaked whales, and Blainville’s beaked whales. The objective wasto determine if physiology (body mass, diving lung volume, dive response) or dive behaviour (dive depthand duration, changes in ascent rate, diel behaviour) would lead to differences in PN2 levels and therebydecompression sickness (DCS) risk between species. Diving lung volume and extent of the dive responsehad a large effect on end-dive PN2 . The dive profile had a larger influence on end-dive PN2 than body massdifferences between species. Despite diel changes in dive behaviour, PN2 levels showed no consistent trend.Model output suggested that all three species live with tissue PN2 levels that would cause a significantproportion of DCS cases in terrestrial mammals. Cuvier’s beaked whale diving behaviour appears to putthem at higher risk than the other species, which may explain their prevalence in strandings after the useof mid-frequency sonar.© 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
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