Metabolic cost of SAB (The Metabolic Cost of Performing Surface Active Behaviors in Delphinids)

Surface active behaviors (SABs), such as tail slaps and breaches, are performed by cetaceans over a range of behavioral contexts. Some cetaceans perform SABs in response to disturbance, including close approaches by vessels. This study aimed to determine metabolic costs of SABs to assess the energetic impact of performing these behaviors in response to vessels. Oxygen consumption of two trained adult male bottlenose dolphins were measured via flow-through respirometry after swimming the length of the research pool, 30 second bouts of tail slaps, and bouts of five and ten bows (proxy for breaches).

This project is a collaboration with researchers from the University of California, Santa Cruz. The PI (Dawn Noren, NWFSC) was responsible for data collection, data analysis, and interpretation, and preparing a manuscript for publication. Partners at UCSC were responsible for training/maintaining the captive dolphins used for the study and assisting with data analysis. This project has resulted in a few presentations at scientific meetings and will be published in a peer-reviewed journal. Managers in the Northwest Regional Office (or other relevant regional offices) can use this information to assess the biological significance of cetacean behavioral reactions to vessel presence. By quantifying behaviors in terms of energetic costs to the individual, we can begin to understand how short-term behavioral responses may have long lasting impacts on wildlife. This is a stand-alone project, and there is no set deadline to complete the manuscript, but it is in progress, and as stated above. Several presentations of the results have already been presented at conferences. Metabolic cost of surfacing behavior