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Prolonged deep dives by the leatherback turtle Dermochelys coriacea: pushing their aerobic dive limits

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 March 2009

Milagros López-Mendilaharsu ,
Carlos F.D. Rocha ,
Andrés Domingo ,
Bryan P. Wallace  and
Philip Miller
Milagros López-Mendilaharsu*
Affiliation:
Programa de Pos-Graduação em Ecologia e Evolução, Departamento de Ecologia, IBRAG, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Rua São Francisco Xavier 524, 20550-013 Maracanã, RJ, Brazil Karumbé, Giannattasio km. 30.500, C.P. 15008, El Pinar, Canelones, Uruguay
Carlos F.D. Rocha
Affiliation:
Programa de Pos-Graduação em Ecologia e Evolução, Departamento de Ecologia, IBRAG, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Rua São Francisco Xavier 524, 20550-013 Maracanã, RJ, Brazil
Andrés Domingo
Affiliation:
Dirección Nacional de Recursos Acuáticos, Recursos Pelágicos, Constituyente 1497, C.P. 11.200, Montevideo, Uruguay
Bryan P. Wallace
Affiliation:
CI-CABS Sea Turtle Flagship Program, Conservation International, 2011 Crystal Drive, Suite 500, Arlington, VA 22202, USA
Philip Miller
Affiliation:
Dirección Nacional de Recursos Acuáticos, Recursos Pelágicos, Constituyente 1497, C.P. 11.200, Montevideo, Uruguay
*
Correspondence should be addressed to: M. López-Mendilaharsu, Programa de Pos-Graduação em Ecologia e Evolução, Departamento de Ecologia IBRAG, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Rua São Francisco Xavier 524, 20550-013 Maracanã, RJ, Brazil email: milagroslm@gmail.com
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Abstract

Air-breathing diving animals are capable of maintaining activity during prolonged dives fuelled by on-board oxygen stores. Leatherback turtles (Dermochelys coriacea) perform the deepest and longest dives among sea turtles, and are among the most prolific air-breathing divers. Here we report the longest dive duration for D. coriacea during an extremely deep dive (1186 m) that lasted 86.5 minutes. This dive duration exceeded previously published calculated aerobic dive limits by almost two-fold and extends our knowledge of the diving capacity of this species.

Keywords

Dermochelys coriaceaMarine turtlesaerobic dive limitdiving behaviourdeep dive
Type
Research Article
Information
Marine Biodiversity Records , Volume 2 , January 2009 , e35
Copyright
Copyright © Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 2009

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