Conservation PhysiologyPub Date : 2026-06-18eCollection Date: 2026-01-01DOI: 10.1093/conphys/coag035
Thaysa G Oliveira, Laurie Araspin, Laura Camila Cabanzo-Olarte, Carlos A Navas, Anthony Herrel
{"title":"Thermal and immunological stress modulate the locomotor performance of female <i>Xenopus laevis</i> frogs.","authors":"Thaysa G Oliveira, Laurie Araspin, Laura Camila Cabanzo-Olarte, Carlos A Navas, Anthony Herrel","doi":"10.1093/conphys/coag035","DOIUrl":"10.1093/conphys/coag035","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Temperature strongly influences physiological performance and immune function in ectotherms, making ectotherms like amphibians particularly vulnerable to the combined effects of climate change and infectious diseases. Since immune activation is energetically expensive, infected individuals may face dilemmas between maintaining immune defences and sustaining ecologically critical functions such as locomotion. These dilemmas are expected to be especially pronounced in females due to their high reproductive investment. In this study, we investigated how a simulated infection affects locomotor performance in female <i>Xenopus laevis</i> frogs under three ecologically relevant thermal conditions: cold (15°C), optimal (22°C) and warm (27°C). Frogs were injected with saline solution (control) or lipopolysaccharide (LPS), and locomotor endurance and jump force were measured. Immune activation reduced locomotor performance at all temperatures. Locomotor endurance was highest near the optimum temperature and decreased at both cold and hot extremes, particularly in frogs treated with LPS, while LPS-induced reductions in jump force were similar across all temperatures. These results indicate that extreme temperatures can intensify the functional costs of immune activation, potentially limiting dispersal, predator escape and other behaviours essential for population persistence. Our findings highlight the importance of integrating thermal stressors and disease when assessing amphibian vulnerability under ongoing climate change.</p>","PeriodicalId":54331,"journal":{"name":"Conservation Physiology","volume":"14 1","pages":"coag035"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2026-06-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13278844/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148297417","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Conservation PhysiologyPub Date : 2026-06-18eCollection Date: 2026-01-01DOI: 10.1093/conphys/coag039
Carmen Dobszewicz, Shamil F Debaere, Sophia M Emmons, Joel H Gayford, Aaron M Hasenei, Carolyn R Wheeler, Jodie L Rummer
{"title":"The ideal candidate for the job: how epaulette sharks (<i>Hemiscyllium ocellatum</i>) have emerged as a model for climate-ready shark conservation.","authors":"Carmen Dobszewicz, Shamil F Debaere, Sophia M Emmons, Joel H Gayford, Aaron M Hasenei, Carolyn R Wheeler, Jodie L Rummer","doi":"10.1093/conphys/coag039","DOIUrl":"10.1093/conphys/coag039","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Sharks and rays are among the most threatened vertebrates; yet, mechanistic data to predict their responses to climate change remain sparse. We argue that the epaulette shark (<i>Hemiscyllium ocellatum</i>) is a tractable candidate species for conservation physiology because it is small and benthic, abundant on Great Barrier Reef flats, exceptionally tolerant of hypoxia and acidification conditions, and amenable to captive breeding and experimental work across life stages. Its distinctive appearance, accessibility and calm disposition also make it an effective flagship species for public engagement and reef conservation. A long-term breeding colony and field access have enabled experiments spanning ocean acidification, hypoxia and warming. Across studies, epaulette sharks show robust maintenance of routine behaviours in both adult and juvenile stages under elevated CO<sub>2</sub>, consistent with physiological traits that buffer pH changes. In contrast, warming imposes clear constraints, especially early in ontogeny. Embryos hatch earlier and smaller, aerobic scope narrows, metabolic costs rise, recovery is delayed, growth is impaired, and mortality risk increases at the upper thermal range. Adults and juveniles retain notable hypoxia tolerance, reflecting nocturnal tidepool conditions; yet, performance trade-offs may emerge when warming and low O<sub>2</sub> co-occur. Together, findings so far illustrate how a resilient species can still harbour critical vulnerabilities under projected climate change conditions. Here, we outline how the epaulette shark can anchor comparative work to derive transferable thresholds (e.g. temperature-oxygen safety margins), test cross-tolerance mechanisms and validate field-relevant biomarkers for monitoring population health. Management applications follow directly, allowing habitat-specific thermal and oxygen limits for shallow flats and nursery areas to be identified, informing heatwave response and water-quality targets, and refining husbandry and welfare guidelines for research and public aquaria. While a site-attached benthic model will not capture constraints faced by pelagic elasmobranchs, leveraging this tractable flagship species to bridge mechanistic understanding and management decision points can enhance forecasts for other reef-associated chondrichthyans and support climate-ready conservation strategies.</p>","PeriodicalId":54331,"journal":{"name":"Conservation Physiology","volume":"14 1","pages":"coag039"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2026-06-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13278842/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148297384","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Conservation PhysiologyPub Date : 2026-06-17eCollection Date: 2026-01-01DOI: 10.1093/conphys/coag038
Caroline E Terry
{"title":"A new hormonal marker for tracking rhino pregnancy.","authors":"Caroline E Terry","doi":"10.1093/conphys/coag038","DOIUrl":"10.1093/conphys/coag038","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":54331,"journal":{"name":"Conservation Physiology","volume":"14 1","pages":"coag038"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2026-06-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13275123/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148279836","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Conservation PhysiologyPub Date : 2026-06-10eCollection Date: 2026-01-01DOI: 10.1093/conphys/coag037
Jarrod M Ludwig, Nathan J Mantua, Rachel C Johnson, John Field, Abigail E Ward, Freya E Rowland, Thomas H Williams, Taylor Lipscomb, Carson Jeffres, Jacques Rinchard
{"title":"Fatty acid profiles recorded in ocean prey and California salmonine eggs reveal maternal ocean diets linked to thiamine deficiency.","authors":"Jarrod M Ludwig, Nathan J Mantua, Rachel C Johnson, John Field, Abigail E Ward, Freya E Rowland, Thomas H Williams, Taylor Lipscomb, Carson Jeffres, Jacques Rinchard","doi":"10.1093/conphys/coag037","DOIUrl":"10.1093/conphys/coag037","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Following the principle 'you are what you eat', fatty acid signatures (FASs) of adult fish tissues, when compared with those of potential prey, can link diet to nutritional status. In 2020, thiamine (vitamin B<sub>1</sub>) deficiency was diagnosed for the first time in multiple anadromous salmon populations in California. However, direct information linking ocean diet to thiamine status in marine-feeding salmonines is typically unavailable. This research aimed to link diet composition and egg total thiamine concentration of anadromous Chinook salmon, coho salmon and steelhead using FAS analysis. From 2020 to 2022, unfertilized eggs from these California salmonine species were collected alongside key forage species from the Pacific Ocean. FASs in eggs and prey were quantified using gas chromatography/mass spectrometry and total thiamine concentrations were quantified using high-performance liquid chromatography. Eggs rich in oleic acid (18:1n-9) reflected a diet dominated by Pacific herring and exhibited higher total thiamine concentrations. Conversely, eggs rich in eicosapentaenoic acid (20:5n-3) indicated a diet dominated by northern anchovy or euphausiid krill and were more likely to have low total thiamine concentrations. Polyunsaturated fatty acid proportions and the egg unsaturation index were strongly negatively correlated with egg total thiamine concentration, emphasizing the importance of lipid quality over quantity as a driver of egg thiamine concentration. This study highlights the utility of FASs for tracking the impacts of a changing ocean prey base on diet and underscores how dietary shifts can directly impact egg thiamine status in anadromous salmonines.</p>","PeriodicalId":54331,"journal":{"name":"Conservation Physiology","volume":"14 1","pages":"coag037"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2026-06-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13253152/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148254447","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Conservation PhysiologyPub Date : 2026-06-03eCollection Date: 2026-01-01DOI: 10.1093/conphys/coag034
Jacey C Van Wert, Stephen D Johnston, Quin V Johnston, Kaitlyn R Zinn, Brian J Hendriks, Lance A Weber, Zachary A Siders, David A Patterson, Kendra A Robinson, Erika J Eliason, Scott G Hinch
{"title":"Dynamic time warping analysis of accelerometry data: a tool for interpreting fine-scale movement patterns during fish angling events.","authors":"Jacey C Van Wert, Stephen D Johnston, Quin V Johnston, Kaitlyn R Zinn, Brian J Hendriks, Lance A Weber, Zachary A Siders, David A Patterson, Kendra A Robinson, Erika J Eliason, Scott G Hinch","doi":"10.1093/conphys/coag034","DOIUrl":"10.1093/conphys/coag034","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Post-release survival in catch-and-release fisheries is highly variable and context dependent, yet management agencies often apply uniform survival estimates. A significant source of this uncertainty is our limited understanding of how the capture event itself drives physiological stress and recovery. Fight dynamics reflect how much effort a fish expends and the exhaustion it experiences. Non-invasive accelerometers attached to the fishing line to record the capture event provide a powerful yet underused tool for quantifying these fight dynamics. Traditional analytical approaches reduce accelerometry data to summary statistics, obscuring fine-scale temporal patterns. Here, we introduce a toolbox based on dynamic time warping (DTW) to preserve the temporal structure of capture events and link fight behaviour to physiological disturbance. We attached tri-axial jerk accelerometers ('jerk' tags) to fishing lines and captured Chinook salmon (<i>Oncorhynchus tshawytscha</i>) and coho salmon (<i>O. kisutch</i>) using rod-and-reel angling off the Pacific coast of Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada. We quantified physiological disturbance by sampling blood pH and plasma lactate 1 h post-capture. To determine whether biologging tags can predict physiological outcomes, we systematically evaluated 13 analytical pipelines, including jerk summary metrics (fight duration, burst frequency, intensity patterns) and DTW-based approaches using raw, filtered and differentiated jerk data. These complementary approaches captured different behavioural dimensions linking fight to physiology. Summary metrics described broad fight patterns and clustered fish with temporally similar fight signatures, while DTW detected <i>Y</i>-axis dimensions linked to individual recovery (plasma lactate). This toolbox is transferable across species and logger types, requiring only accelerometers attached to angling gear. By systematically evaluating processing pipelines rather than defaulting to conventional metrics only, researchers can optimize inference and identify behavioural signatures that predict physiological disturbance. This approach provides a scalable tool for developing evidence-based best practices to improve conservation outcomes.</p>","PeriodicalId":54331,"journal":{"name":"Conservation Physiology","volume":"14 1","pages":"coag034"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2026-06-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13231511/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148165622","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Conservation PhysiologyPub Date : 2026-05-25eCollection Date: 2026-01-01DOI: 10.1093/conphys/coag031
Yuuki Y Watanabe, Thomas Stamp, Amanda N Barkley, Kevin J Hedges, Nigel E Hussey
{"title":"Post-release behaviour, physiological stress and survival of longline-caught Greenland sharks.","authors":"Yuuki Y Watanabe, Thomas Stamp, Amanda N Barkley, Kevin J Hedges, Nigel E Hussey","doi":"10.1093/conphys/coag031","DOIUrl":"10.1093/conphys/coag031","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Incidental capture of sharks by fisheries is common, making it critical to assess species' physiological and behavioural stress responses and post-release survival. Previous studies have examined blood chemistry, post-release behaviour or long-term survival in various bycatch species; however, few have combined these approaches within a single species. Here, we integrated hook timers, blood chemistry, accelerometry and acoustic and satellite telemetry to assess the impacts of longline capture on Greenland sharks <i>Somniosus microcephalus</i>, a deep-sea species encountered in Arctic fisheries. Due to extremely slow growth and late maturity, this species is considered vulnerable to anthropogenic impacts. Lactate and glucose concentrations were within normal ranges for related species and lower than most species. Following release, individuals exhibited reduced vertical movement with elevated swim speed and tailbeat frequency, returning to baseline behaviour after ~ 10 h. Recovery duration was positively correlated with lactate concentration, but not with time hooked. Acoustic and satellite tracking confirmed survival for > 30 days in 9 of 10 tagged individuals, with evidence of multiyear survival up to 6.7 years. The remaining individual moved offshore over 4 days, but long-term survival could not be confirmed. In addition, one shark that was tail-wrapped during capture, for which tracking data were unavailable, may have experienced immediate post-release mortality. Overall, our findings indicate that Greenland sharks are resilient to longline capture stress when properly handled. This resilience likely reflects their slow swim speed and low metabolic rate associated with cold environments, their limited fight response when hooked, and the narrow vertical temperature range of Arctic waters, which minimizes thermal stress during capture. We emphasize the importance of appropriate handling practices and recommend further monitoring of Greenland shark post-release survival from (i) longline fisheries by capture mode (i.e. mouth-hooked, body-tangled or tail-wrapped) and (ii) other fishing gears such as trawl and gillnet.</p>","PeriodicalId":54331,"journal":{"name":"Conservation Physiology","volume":"14 1","pages":"coag031"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2026-05-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13201077/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148037593","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Conservation PhysiologyPub Date : 2026-05-09eCollection Date: 2026-01-01DOI: 10.1093/conphys/coag033
Jennifer F Provencher, Andre Morrill, Holly L Hennin, Jolene A Giacinti, Yohannes Berhane, Dmytro Zhmendak, Wanhong Xu, Oliver P Love, Mark R Forbes, H Grant Gilchrist
{"title":"Interannual differences in common eider duck exposure to avian influenza viruses at an Arctic colony.","authors":"Jennifer F Provencher, Andre Morrill, Holly L Hennin, Jolene A Giacinti, Yohannes Berhane, Dmytro Zhmendak, Wanhong Xu, Oliver P Love, Mark R Forbes, H Grant Gilchrist","doi":"10.1093/conphys/coag033","DOIUrl":"10.1093/conphys/coag033","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Avian Influenza viruses (AIVs) regularly circulate among migratory birds, but starting in late 2021 an incursion of highly pathogenic AIV (HPAIV; H5N1 clade 2.3.4.4b) was detected widely in North American wild birds. Understanding exposure of migratory birds to AIV can be assessed through detection of anti-AIV antibodies, which indicate prior infection and survival. We used archived plasma samples from a long-term population monitoring programme to examine trends in prior AIV infection (as indicated by antibody detection) in female common eider duck (<i>Somateria mollissima borealis</i>) across years pre- and post-HPAIV detection in Canada (2018, 2019, 2022, 2023 and 2024). Anti-AIV antibodies have been assessed at this colony previously; therefore, we also combined the results from our analyses with previous data to extend the temporal trend analyses back to 2007. While we found that anti-nucleoprotein (NP) antibody positivity was relatively high across all five years, with observed proportions of seropositive females ranging from 76.9% (in 2019) to 100% (2018, 2023 and 2024), we found that levels of detections of anti-NP antibodies have been generally higher since 2011, with lower levels observed in earlier years (e.g. 2007). Anti-H5 antibody positivity levels increased significantly between 2019 and both 2023 and 2024, reflecting the likely change in exposure with the occurrence of the 2021 HPAIV H5N1 incursion in North America. We found no differences in annual anti-H7 antibody positivity levels. Our results demonstrate that Arctic-breeding common eider ducks have experienced varying exposure to AIV over the study period, with increasing exposure to multiple types of AIV based on an increase in antibody detections in recent years.</p>","PeriodicalId":54331,"journal":{"name":"Conservation Physiology","volume":"14 1","pages":"coag033"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2026-05-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13159724/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147935424","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Conservation PhysiologyPub Date : 2026-05-08eCollection Date: 2026-01-01DOI: 10.1093/conphys/coag030
Christine L Madliger, Nann A Fangue, Kathleen Hunt, Edward Narayan, Cosima S Porteus, Jennifer F Provencher, Jodie L Rummer, Frank Seebacher, Anne E Todgham, Sean Tomlinson, Essie Rodgers, Craig E Franklin, Steven J Cooke
{"title":"Challenging 10 misconceptions in conservation physiology.","authors":"Christine L Madliger, Nann A Fangue, Kathleen Hunt, Edward Narayan, Cosima S Porteus, Jennifer F Provencher, Jodie L Rummer, Frank Seebacher, Anne E Todgham, Sean Tomlinson, Essie Rodgers, Craig E Franklin, Steven J Cooke","doi":"10.1093/conphys/coag030","DOIUrl":"10.1093/conphys/coag030","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Relative to other subdisciplines of conservation science, conservation physiology remains somewhat nascent. Although there is a growing number of successes where physiological concepts, knowledge and tools have informed conservation decisions and management actions, there also remain a number of challenges. We argue that there is a set of misconceptions that serve as <i>de facto</i> barriers to realizing the full potential of conservation physiology as a mission-oriented area of scholarly inquiry and practice. However, we also suggest that those misconceptions can be easily dispelled. In this paper, we identify and dispel 10 'myths' in conservation physiology: (i) conservation physiology subsumes other disciplines and has no unique goals; (ii) the toolbox is too invasive; (iii) tools are too specialized; (iv) the field relies too heavily on surrogates and captive studies; (v) physiological information cannot be scaled from the individual level to the population level; (vi) baseline (i.e. control) data are too sparse; (vii) conservation physiology is too speculative; (viii) managers do not care about physiology; (ix) conservation physiology cannot engage fundamental scientists; and (x) conservation physiology cannot solve conservation problems. Given that some of these misconceptions represent ongoing barriers, we also identify opportunities for further overcoming them. In particular, embracing co-production and engaging in effective knowledge exchange are fundamental to generating relevant and actionable knowledge. Similarly, we submit that the tension between fundamental and applied science is not inherently disruptive and ensures that there is a strong foundation for evidence-based decisions. This paper is intended to open the eyes and minds of ecologists, physiologists and end-users about what conservation physiology has to offer and how to realize those opportunities. Working collectively and collaboratively to achieve the common mission of conservation physiology will not only benefit conservation science but will also benefit biodiversity and society.</p>","PeriodicalId":54331,"journal":{"name":"Conservation Physiology","volume":"14 1","pages":"coag030"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2026-05-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13156040/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147870341","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Conservation PhysiologyPub Date : 2026-05-07eCollection Date: 2026-01-01DOI: 10.1093/conphys/coag028
Sean Tomlinson, Jeff C Clements, Steven J Cooke, Andrea Fuller, Bridget O'Boyle
{"title":"Tips and tricks for addressing and responding to peer reviews.","authors":"Sean Tomlinson, Jeff C Clements, Steven J Cooke, Andrea Fuller, Bridget O'Boyle","doi":"10.1093/conphys/coag028","DOIUrl":"10.1093/conphys/coag028","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Graphical Abstract.</p>","PeriodicalId":54331,"journal":{"name":"Conservation Physiology","volume":"14 1","pages":"coag028"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2026-05-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13152665/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147870351","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Conservation PhysiologyPub Date : 2026-04-29eCollection Date: 2026-01-01DOI: 10.1093/conphys/coag024
Mariana P Silva, Cláudia Oliveira, Rui Prieto, Austin S Allen, Matthew Bowers, Aimee-Kate Darias-O'Hara, Andreas Fahlman, Katarína Klementisová, Madalina Matei, Samantha E Simmons, Mónica A Silva, Leslie New, Sergi Pérez-Jorge
{"title":"Estimating energy expenditure of sperm whales living in social units.","authors":"Mariana P Silva, Cláudia Oliveira, Rui Prieto, Austin S Allen, Matthew Bowers, Aimee-Kate Darias-O'Hara, Andreas Fahlman, Katarína Klementisová, Madalina Matei, Samantha E Simmons, Mónica A Silva, Leslie New, Sergi Pérez-Jorge","doi":"10.1093/conphys/coag024","DOIUrl":"10.1093/conphys/coag024","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Assessing species' vulnerability to stressors (e.g. changes in prey availability, noise) can be done with bioenergetics models, often within frameworks such as the Population Consequences of Disturbance. However, to successfully quantify the cumulative effects of stressors on individuals it is crucial to understand the link between behavioural change and metabolic costs. Measurements of energy expenditure (e.g. field metabolic rates, FMR) are difficult to obtain for large cetaceans because traditional methods are impractical due to whales' size. Consequently, energy expenditure must be estimated indirectly, using proxies such as respiration rates and overall dynamic body acceleration (ODBA). Here, we estimated daily FMR of sperm whales (<i>Physeter macrocephalus</i>) from social units by combining <i>in situ</i> data with these two methods. The estimated mean daily FMR, including estimated basal metabolic rates (BMR), was 412 MJ/day (95% CI: 262.20-616) using the respiration-based method and 620.5 MJ/day (95% CI: 402-839.3) using ODBA. This study provides the first estimates of daily FMR for sperm whales and revealed that averaged-sized individuals from social units have FMRs between 1.59 and 2.39 times the predicted BMR of similar-sized terrestrial mammals, based on respiration rates and ODBA estimates, respectively. Our findings, combined with data on energy acquisition, can contribute to improving predictions of how environmental stressors impact energy balance, health and the long-term population viability of deep-diving marine mammals.</p>","PeriodicalId":54331,"journal":{"name":"Conservation Physiology","volume":"14 1","pages":"coag024"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2026-04-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13128299/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147823402","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}