Seals were kept in captive tanks and forced to dive to get t…
Seals were kept in captive tanks and forced to dive to get their prey. They were fitted with data-loggers that measured their heart rate (HR), depth, and the researchers were able to measure their oxygen consumption (VO2, metabolic rate) throughout the day. Below you see some data from a seal from 02:00 until 23:00. The first narrow rectangle is when the seal ate. The second rectangle is when the researchers noticed a big increase in the seals metabolic rate. Can you explain these results? Why might this be an adaptation for an air-breathing predator that must forage underwater?