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Alsaedi MK, Riccio RE, Sharma A, Xia J, Owyeung RE, Romero LM, Sonkusale S. Smart sensing flexible sutures for glucose monitoring in house sparrows. Analyst 2023; 148:5714-5723. [PMID: 37840341 DOI: 10.1039/d3an01488f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/17/2023]
Abstract
There is a need for flexible chemical sensors for the ecological and physiological research of avian species such as house sparrows (Passer domesticus). Current methods in this field are invasive and require multiple physical interactions with the birds. Emerging research in flexible bioelectronics can enable realization of implantable devices that are mechanically compliant with the underlying tissues for continuous real-time sensing in situ. However, challenges still remain in forming an intimate flexible interface. One of the promising flexible bioelectronic platforms for tissue-embedded sensing is based on functionalizing surgical sutures or threads. Threads have three-dimensional flexibility, high surface-area-to-volume ratio, inherent wicking properties, and are easily functionalizable using reel-to-reel dip coating. Threads are ideal as they are lightweight, therefore, would not interfere with flight motion and would only require minimal interaction with the bird. However, the challenge remains in achieving a highly conductive yet flexible electrode for electrochemical sensing using materials such as gold. In this study, we address this issue through novel gold deposition directly on thread substrate followed by enzyme immobilization to realize flexible electrochemical glucose biosensors on medical-grade sutures. These sensors were calibrated and tested in a range that is wide enough to include the expected range of glucose concentration in house sparrows (0-8.55 mM). Glucose monitoring in house sparrows will provide insights into energy metabolism and regulation during stress responses. In addition, the stability, repeatability, and selectivity of the sensor were tested with final validation in a real bird. Our innovative gold-coated, thread-based flexible electrochemical glucose sensor can also be used in other small and large animals. This can also be extended to monitoring other metabolites in future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mossab K Alsaedi
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Tufts University, Medford, MA, 02155, USA.
- Nano Lab, Advanced Technology Laboratory, Tufts University, Medford, MA, 02155, USA
| | - Rachel E Riccio
- Nano Lab, Advanced Technology Laboratory, Tufts University, Medford, MA, 02155, USA
- Department of Biology, Tufts University, Medford, MA, 02155, USA
| | - Atul Sharma
- Nano Lab, Advanced Technology Laboratory, Tufts University, Medford, MA, 02155, USA
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Tufts University, Medford, MA, 02155, USA
| | - Junfei Xia
- Nano Lab, Advanced Technology Laboratory, Tufts University, Medford, MA, 02155, USA
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Tufts University, Medford, MA, 02155, USA
| | - Rachel E Owyeung
- Nano Lab, Advanced Technology Laboratory, Tufts University, Medford, MA, 02155, USA
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Tufts University, Medford, MA, 02155, USA
| | - L Michael Romero
- Department of Biology, Tufts University, Medford, MA, 02155, USA
| | - Sameer Sonkusale
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Tufts University, Medford, MA, 02155, USA.
- Nano Lab, Advanced Technology Laboratory, Tufts University, Medford, MA, 02155, USA
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Tufts University, Medford, MA, 02155, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tufts University, Medford, MA, 02155, USA
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2
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Jackson LM, Léandri-Breton DJ, Whelan S, Turmaine A, Hatch SA, Grémillet D, Elliott KH. Beyond body condition: Experimental evidence that plasma metabolites improve nutritional state measurements in a free-living seabird. Comp Biochem Physiol A Mol Integr Physiol 2023; 285:111504. [PMID: 37574042 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpa.2023.111504] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2023] [Revised: 08/09/2023] [Accepted: 08/10/2023] [Indexed: 08/15/2023]
Abstract
The ability to efficiently measure the health and nutritional status of wild populations in situ is a valuable tool, as many methods of evaluating animal physiology do not occur in real-time, limiting the possibilities for direct intervention. This study investigates the use of blood plasma metabolite concentrations, measured via point-of-care devices or a simple plate reader assay, as indicators of nutritional state in free-living seabirds. We experimentally manipulated the energy expenditure of wild black-legged kittiwakes on Middleton Island, Alaska, and measured the plasma concentrations of glucose, cholesterol, B-hydroxybutyrate, and triglycerides throughout the breeding season, along with measures of body condition (size-corrected mass [SCM] and muscle depth). Supplemental feeding improved the nutritional state of kittiwakes by increasing feeding rate (higher glucose and triglycerides, lower cholesterol), and flight-handicapping caused a slight nutritional decline (lower glucose and triglycerides, higher cholesterol and B-hydroxybutyrate). Glucose and triglycerides were the best indicators of nutritional state when used alongside SCM, and improved upon commonly used metrics for measuring individual condition (i.e. SCM or mass alone). Metabolite concentrations varied across the breeding period, suggesting that the pre-laying stage, when feeding rates tend to be lower, was the most nutritionally challenging period for kittiwakes (low glucose, high cholesterol). Muscle depth also varied by treatment and breeding stage, but differed from other nutritional indices, suggesting that muscle depth is an indicator of exercise and activity level rather than nutrition. Here we demonstrate potential for the use of blood plasma metabolites measured via point-of-care devices as proxies for evaluating individual health, population health, and environmental food availability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren M Jackson
- Department of Natural Resources Sciences, McGill University, Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue, QC, Canada.
| | - Don-Jean Léandri-Breton
- Department of Natural Resources Sciences, McGill University, Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue, QC, Canada; Centre d'Études Biologiques de Chizé, CNRS-Université de La Rochelle, UMR-7372, Villiers-en-Bois, France. https://twitter.com/DonJean_Leandri
| | - Shannon Whelan
- Department of Natural Resources Sciences, McGill University, Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue, QC, Canada; Institute for Seabird Research and Conservation, Anchorage, AK, USA. https://twitter.com/killerwhelan
| | - Alexandre Turmaine
- Department of Natural Resources Sciences, McGill University, Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue, QC, Canada
| | - Scott A Hatch
- Institute for Seabird Research and Conservation, Anchorage, AK, USA
| | - David Grémillet
- CEFE, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, EPHE, IRD, Montpellier, France; Percy FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, South Africa
| | - Kyle H Elliott
- Department of Natural Resources Sciences, McGill University, Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue, QC, Canada. https://twitter.com/ArcticEcology
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3
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Ste Marie E, Grémillet D, Fort J, Patterson A, Brisson-Curadeau É, Clairbaux M, Perret S, Speakman J, Elliott KH. Accelerating animal energetics: High dive costs in a small seabird disrupt the dynamic body acceleration - energy expenditure relationship. J Exp Biol 2022; 225:275487. [PMID: 35593255 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.243252] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2021] [Accepted: 05/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Accelerometry has been widely used to estimate energy expenditure in a broad array of terrestrial and aquatic species. However, a recent reappraisal of the method showed that relationships between dynamic body acceleration (DBA) and energy expenditure weaken as the proportion of non-mechanical costs increase. Aquatic air breathing species often exemplify this pattern, as buoyancy, thermoregulation and other physiological mechanisms disproportionately affect oxygen consumption during dives. Combining biologging with the doubly-labelled water method, we simultaneously recorded daily energy expenditure (DEE) and triaxial acceleration in one of the world's smallest wing-propelled breath-hold divers, the dovekie (Alle alle). These data were used to estimate the activity-specific costs of flying and diving and to test whether overall dynamic body acceleration (ODBA) is a reliable predictor of DEE in this abundant seabird. Average DEE for chick-rearing dovekies was 604±119 kJ/d across both sampling years. Despite recording lower stroke frequencies for diving than for flying (in line with allometric predictions for auks), dive costs were estimated to surpass flight costs in our sample of birds (flying: 7.24, diving: 9.37 X BMR). As expected, ODBA was not an effective predictor of DEE in this species. However, accelerometer-derived time budgets did accurately estimate DEE in dovekies. This work represents an empirical example of how the apparent energetic costs of buoyancy and thermoregulation limit the effectiveness of ODBA as the sole predictor of overall energy expenditure in small shallow-diving endotherms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric Ste Marie
- Department of Natural Resource Sciences, McGill University, Ste Anne-de-Bellevue, Quebec, Canada
| | - David Grémillet
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé (CEBC), UMR 7372 CNRS - La Rochelle Université, Villiers-en-Bois, France.,Percy FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, South Africa
| | - Jérôme Fort
- Littoral, Environnement et Sociétés (LIENSs), UMR7266 CNRS - La Rochelle Université, 17000 La Rochelle, France
| | - Allison Patterson
- Department of Natural Resource Sciences, McGill University, Ste Anne-de-Bellevue, Quebec, Canada
| | - Émile Brisson-Curadeau
- Department of Natural Resource Sciences, McGill University, Ste Anne-de-Bellevue, Quebec, Canada
| | - Manon Clairbaux
- School of Biological, Environmental and Earth Sciences, University College Cork, Cork T23 N73K, Ireland
| | - Samuel Perret
- CEFE, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, EPHE, IRD, Univ Paul Valéry Montpellier 3, Montpellier
| | - John Speakman
- Institute of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK
| | - Kyle H Elliott
- Department of Natural Resource Sciences, McGill University, Ste Anne-de-Bellevue, Quebec, Canada
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4
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Brown JM, Bouten W, Camphuysen KCJ, Nolet BA, Shamoun‐Baranes J. Acceleration as a proxy for energy expenditure in a facultative‐soaring bird: comparing dynamic body acceleration and time‐energy budgets to heart rate. Funct Ecol 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.14055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- J. Morgan Brown
- Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics University of Amsterdam Amsterdam The Netherlands
| | - Willem Bouten
- Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics University of Amsterdam Amsterdam The Netherlands
| | - Kees C. J. Camphuysen
- Department of Coastal Systems NIOZ Royal Institute for Sea Research and Utrecht University Texel The Netherlands
| | - Bart A. Nolet
- Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics University of Amsterdam Amsterdam The Netherlands
- Department of Animal Ecology Netherlands Institute of Ecology Wageningen The Netherlands
| | - Judy Shamoun‐Baranes
- Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics University of Amsterdam Amsterdam The Netherlands
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5
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Demartsev V, Manser MB, Tattersall GJ. Vocalization associated respiration patterns: thermography-based monitoring and detection of preparation for calling. J Exp Biol 2022; 225:274334. [PMID: 35142353 PMCID: PMC8976942 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.243474] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2021] [Accepted: 02/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Vocal emission requires coordination with the respiratory system. Monitoring the increase in laryngeal pressure, which is needed for vocal production, allows detection of transitions from quiet respiration to vocalization-supporting respiration. Characterization of these transitions could be used to identify preparation for vocal emission and to examine the probability of it manifesting into an actual vocal production event. Specifically, overlaying the subject's respiration with conspecific calls can highlight events of call initiation and suppression, as a means of signalling coordination and avoiding jamming. Here, we present a thermal imaging-based methodology for synchronized respiration and vocalization monitoring of free-ranging meerkats. The sensitivity of this methodology is sufficient for detecting transient changes in the subject's respiration associated with the exertion of vocal production. The differences in respiration are apparent not only during the vocal output, but also prior to it, marking the potential time frame of the respiratory preparation for calling. A correlation between conspecific calls with elongation of the focal subject's respiration cycles could be related to fluctuations in attention levels or in the motivation to reply. This framework can be used for examining the capability for enhanced respiration control in animals during modulated and complex vocal sequences, detecting ‘failed’ vocalization attempts and investigating the role of respiration cues in the regulation of vocal interactions. Summary: A thermography-based methodology for estimating breathing traces in free-ranging meerkats detects changes in respiration associated with the preparation and with the production of vocal signals by combining respiration monitoring with audio recordings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vlad Demartsev
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany.,Department for the Ecology of Animal Societies, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Konstanz, Germany.,Kalahari Research Centre, Van Zylsrus, Northern Cape, South Africa
| | - Marta B Manser
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.,Kalahari Research Centre, Van Zylsrus, Northern Cape, South Africa.,Interdisciplinary Center for the Evolution of Language, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
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Garde B, Wilson RP, Fell A, Cole N, Tatayah V, Holton MD, Rose KAR, Metcalfe RS, Robotka H, Wikelski M, Tremblay F, Whelan S, Elliott KH, Shepard ELC. Ecological inference using data from accelerometers needs careful protocols. Methods Ecol Evol 2022; 13:813-825. [PMID: 35910299 PMCID: PMC9303593 DOI: 10.1111/2041-210x.13804] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2021] [Accepted: 12/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Accelerometers in animal‐attached tags are powerful tools in behavioural ecology, they can be used to determine behaviour and provide proxies for movement‐based energy expenditure. Researchers are collecting and archiving data across systems, seasons and device types. However, using data repositories to draw ecological inference requires a good understanding of the error introduced according to sensor type and position on the study animal and protocols for error assessment and minimisation. Using laboratory trials, we examine the absolute accuracy of tri‐axial accelerometers and determine how inaccuracies impact measurements of dynamic body acceleration (DBA), a proxy for energy expenditure, in human participants. We then examine how tag type and placement affect the acceleration signal in birds, using pigeons Columba livia flying in a wind tunnel, with tags mounted simultaneously in two positions, and back‐ and tail‐mounted tags deployed on wild kittiwakes Rissa tridactyla. Finally, we present a case study where two generations of tag were deployed using different attachment procedures on red‐tailed tropicbirds Phaethon rubricauda foraging in different seasons. Bench tests showed that individual acceleration axes required a two‐level correction to eliminate measurement error. This resulted in DBA differences of up to 5% between calibrated and uncalibrated tags for humans walking at a range of speeds. Device position was associated with greater variation in DBA, with upper and lower back‐mounted tags varying by 9% in pigeons, and tail‐ and back‐mounted tags varying by 13% in kittiwakes. The tropicbird study highlighted the difficulties of attributing changes in signal amplitude to a single factor when confounding influences tend to covary, as DBA varied by 25% between seasons. Accelerometer accuracy, tag placement and attachment critically affect the signal amplitude and thereby the ability of the system to detect biologically meaningful phenomena. We propose a simple method to calibrate accelerometers that can be executed under field conditions. This should be used prior to deployments and archived with resulting data. We also suggest a way that researchers can assess accuracy in previously collected data, and caution that variable tag placement and attachment can increase sensor noise and even generate trends that have no biological meaning.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Adam Fell
- Department of Biosciences Swansea University Swansea UK
- Biological and Environmental Sciences University of Stirling Stirling UK
| | - Nik Cole
- Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust Jersey
| | | | | | | | - Richard S. Metcalfe
- Applied Sports Science, Technology, Exercise and Medicine Research Centre (A‐STEM) Swansea University Swansea UK
| | | | - Martin Wikelski
- Department of Migration Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior Germany
- Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour University of Konstanz Konstanz Germany
| | - Fred Tremblay
- Department of Natural Resources Sciences McGill University Quebec
| | - Shannon Whelan
- Department of Natural Resources Sciences McGill University Quebec
| | - Kyle H. Elliott
- Department of Natural Resources Sciences McGill University Quebec
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7
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Laske TG, Garshelis DL, Iles TL, Iaizzo PA. An engineering perspective on the development and evolution of implantable cardiac monitors in free-living animals. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2021; 376:20200217. [PMID: 34121460 PMCID: PMC8200647 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2020.0217] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
The latest technologies associated with implantable physiological monitoring devices can record multiple channels of data (including: heart rates and rhythms, activity, temperature, impedance and posture), and coupled with powerful software applications, have provided novel insights into the physiology of animals in the wild. This perspective details past challenges and lessons learned from the uses and developments of implanted biologgers designed for human clinical application in our research on free-ranging American black bears (Ursus americanus). In addition, we reference other research by colleagues and collaborators who have leveraged these devices in their work, including: brown bears (Ursus arctos), grey wolves (Canis lupus), moose (Alces alces), maned wolves (Chrysocyon brachyurus) and southern elephant seals (Mirounga leonina). We also discuss the potentials for applications of such devices across a range of other species. To date, the devices described have been used in fifteen different wild species, with publications pending in many instances. We have focused our physiological research on the analyses of heart rates and rhythms and thus special attention will be paid to this topic. We then discuss some major expected step changes such as improvements in sensing algorithms, data storage, and the incorporation of next-generation short-range wireless telemetry. The latter provides new avenues for data transfer, and when combined with cloud-based computing, it not only provides means for big data storage but also the ability to readily leverage high-performance computing platforms using artificial intelligence and machine learning algorithms. These advances will dramatically increase both data quantity and quality and will facilitate the development of automated recognition of extreme physiological events or key behaviours of interest in a broad array of environments, thus further aiding wildlife monitoring and management. This article is part of the theme issue ‘Measuring physiology in free-living animals (Part I)’.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timothy G Laske
- Department of Surgery, University of Minnesota, B172 Mayo, MMC 195, 420 Delaware Street SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - David L Garshelis
- Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (retired), 1201 E Hwy 2, Grand Rapids, MN 55744, USA
| | - Tinen L Iles
- Department of Surgery, University of Minnesota, B172 Mayo, MMC 195, 420 Delaware Street SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Paul A Iaizzo
- Department of Surgery, University of Minnesota, B172 Mayo, MMC 195, 420 Delaware Street SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA.,Institute for Engineering in Medicine, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
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8
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Masello JF, Barbosa A, Kato A, Mattern T, Medeiros R, Stockdale JE, Kümmel MN, Bustamante P, Belliure J, Benzal J, Colominas-Ciuró R, Menéndez-Blázquez J, Griep S, Goesmann A, Symondson WOC, Quillfeldt P. How animals distribute themselves in space: energy landscapes of Antarctic avian predators. MOVEMENT ECOLOGY 2021; 9:24. [PMID: 34001240 PMCID: PMC8127181 DOI: 10.1186/s40462-021-00255-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2020] [Accepted: 03/17/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Energy landscapes provide an approach to the mechanistic basis of spatial ecology and decision-making in animals. This is based on the quantification of the variation in the energy costs of movements through a given environment, as well as how these costs vary in time and for different animal populations. Organisms as diverse as fish, mammals, and birds will move in areas of the energy landscape that result in minimised costs and maximised energy gain. Recently, energy landscapes have been used to link energy gain and variable energy costs of foraging to breeding success, revealing their potential use for understanding demographic changes. METHODS Using GPS-temperature-depth and tri-axial accelerometer loggers, stable isotope and molecular analyses of the diet, and leucocyte counts, we studied the response of gentoo (Pygoscelis papua) and chinstrap (Pygoscelis antarcticus) penguins to different energy landscapes and resources. We compared species and gentoo penguin populations with contrasting population trends. RESULTS Between populations, gentoo penguins from Livingston Island (Antarctica), a site with positive population trends, foraged in energy landscape sectors that implied lower foraging costs per energy gained compared with those around New Island (Falkland/Malvinas Islands; sub-Antarctic), a breeding site with fluctuating energy costs of foraging, breeding success and populations. Between species, chinstrap penguins foraged in sectors of the energy landscape with lower foraging costs per bottom time, a proxy for energy gain. They also showed lower physiological stress, as revealed by leucocyte counts, and higher breeding success than gentoo penguins. In terms of diet, we found a flexible foraging ecology in gentoo penguins but a narrow foraging niche for chinstraps. CONCLUSIONS The lower foraging costs incurred by the gentoo penguins from Livingston, may favour a higher breeding success that would explain the species' positive population trend in the Antarctic Peninsula. The lower foraging costs in chinstrap penguins may also explain their higher breeding success, compared to gentoos from Antarctica but not their negative population trend. Altogether, our results suggest a link between energy landscapes and breeding success mediated by the physiological condition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan F Masello
- Department of Animal Ecology & Systematics, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Heinrich-Buff-Ring 26, D-35392, Giessen, Germany.
| | - Andres Barbosa
- Department Ecología Evolutiva, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, CSIC, C/José Gutiérrez Abascal, 2, 28006, Madrid, Spain
| | - Akiko Kato
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé, UMR7372 CNRS-Université La Rochelle, 79360, Villiers en Bois, France
| | - Thomas Mattern
- Department of Animal Ecology & Systematics, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Heinrich-Buff-Ring 26, D-35392, Giessen, Germany
- New Zealand Penguin Initiative, PO Box 6319, Dunedin, 9022, New Zealand
| | - Renata Medeiros
- Cardiff School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, The Sir Martin Evans Building, Museum Av, Cardiff, CF10 3AX, UK
- Cardiff School of Dentistry, Heath Park, Cardiff, CF14 4XY, UK
| | - Jennifer E Stockdale
- Cardiff School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, The Sir Martin Evans Building, Museum Av, Cardiff, CF10 3AX, UK
| | - Marc N Kümmel
- Institute for Bioinformatics & Systems Biology, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Heinrich-Buff-Ring 58, D-35392, Giessen, Germany
| | - Paco Bustamante
- Littoral Environnement et Sociétés (LIENSs), UMR 7266 CNRS-Université de La Rochelle, 17000, La Rochelle, France
- Institut Universitaire de France (IUF), 1 rue Descartes, 75005, Paris, France
| | - Josabel Belliure
- GLOCEE - Global Change Ecology and Evolution Group, Universidad de Alcalá, Madrid, Spain
| | - Jesús Benzal
- Estación Experimental de Zonas Áridas, CSIC, Almería, Spain
| | - Roger Colominas-Ciuró
- Department Ecología Evolutiva, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, CSIC, C/José Gutiérrez Abascal, 2, 28006, Madrid, Spain
| | - Javier Menéndez-Blázquez
- Department Ecología Evolutiva, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, CSIC, C/José Gutiérrez Abascal, 2, 28006, Madrid, Spain
| | - Sven Griep
- Institute for Bioinformatics & Systems Biology, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Heinrich-Buff-Ring 58, D-35392, Giessen, Germany
| | - Alexander Goesmann
- Institute for Bioinformatics & Systems Biology, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Heinrich-Buff-Ring 58, D-35392, Giessen, Germany
| | - William O C Symondson
- Cardiff School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, The Sir Martin Evans Building, Museum Av, Cardiff, CF10 3AX, UK
| | - Petra Quillfeldt
- Department of Animal Ecology & Systematics, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Heinrich-Buff-Ring 26, D-35392, Giessen, Germany
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9
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Howard JL, Tompkins EM, Anderson DJ. Effects of age, sex, and ENSO phase on foraging and flight performance in Nazca boobies. Ecol Evol 2021; 11:4084-4100. [PMID: 33976796 PMCID: PMC8093656 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.7308] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2020] [Revised: 01/15/2021] [Accepted: 01/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Age-related changes in survival and reproduction are common in seabirds; however, the underlying causes remain elusive. A lack of experience for young individuals, and a decline in foraging performance for old birds, could underlie age-related variation in reproduction because reproductive success is connected closely to provisioning offspring. For seabirds, flapping flight during foraging trips is physiologically costly; inexperience or senescent decline in performance of this demanding activity might cap delivery of food to the nest, providing a proximate explanation for poor breeding success in young and old age, respectively. We evaluated the hypothesis that young and old Nazca boobies (Sula granti), a Galápagos seabird, demonstrate deficits in foraging outcomes and flight performance. We tagged incubating male and female adults across the life span with both accelerometer and GPS loggers during the incubation periods of two breeding seasons (years), during the 2015 El Niño and the following weak La Niña. We tested the ability of age, sex, and environment to explain variation in foraging outcomes (e.g., mass gained) and flight variables (e.g., wingbeat frequency). Consistent with senescence, old birds gained less mass while foraging than middle-aged individuals, a marginal effect, and achieved a slower airspeed late in a foraging trip. Contrary to expectations, young birds showed no deficit in foraging outcomes or flight performance, except for airspeed (contingent on environment). Young birds flew slower than middle-aged birds in 2015, but faster than middle-aged birds in 2016. Wingbeat frequency, flap-glide ratio, and body displacement (approximating wingbeat strength) failed to predict airspeed and were unaffected by age. Sex influenced nearly all aspects of performance. Environment affected flight performance and foraging outcomes. Boobies' foraging outcomes were better during the extreme 2015 El Niño than during the 2016 weak La Niña, a surprising result given the negative effects tropical seabirds often experience during extreme El Niños.
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10
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Hicks O, Kato A, Angelier F, Wisniewska DM, Hambly C, Speakman JR, Marciau C, Ropert-Coudert Y. Acceleration predicts energy expenditure in a fat, flightless, diving bird. Sci Rep 2020; 10:21493. [PMID: 33299039 PMCID: PMC7726140 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-78025-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2020] [Accepted: 11/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Energy drives behaviour and life history decisions, yet it can be hard to measure at fine scales in free-moving animals. Accelerometry has proven a powerful tool to estimate energy expenditure, but requires calibration in the wild. This can be difficult in some environments, or for particular behaviours, and validations have produced equivocal results in some species, particularly air-breathing divers. It is, therefore, important to calibrate accelerometry across different behaviours to understand the most parsimonious way to estimate energy expenditure in free-living conditions. Here, we combine data from miniaturised acceleration loggers on 58 free-living Adélie penguins with doubly labelled water (DLW) measurements of their energy expenditure over several days. Across different behaviours, both in water and on land, dynamic body acceleration was a good predictor of independently measured DLW-derived energy expenditure (R2 = 0.72). The most parsimonious model suggested different calibration coefficients are required to predict behaviours on land versus foraging behaviour in water (R2 = 0.75). Our results show that accelerometry can be used to reliably estimate energy expenditure in penguins, and we provide calibration equations for estimating metabolic rate across several behaviours in the wild.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olivia Hicks
- Centre D'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé, CNRS, La Rochelle Université, UMR 7372, Villiers-en-Bois, France.
| | - Akiko Kato
- Centre D'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé, CNRS, La Rochelle Université, UMR 7372, Villiers-en-Bois, France
| | - Frederic Angelier
- Centre D'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé, CNRS, La Rochelle Université, UMR 7372, Villiers-en-Bois, France
| | - Danuta M Wisniewska
- Centre D'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé, CNRS, La Rochelle Université, UMR 7372, Villiers-en-Bois, France
| | - Catherine Hambly
- Institute of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK
| | - John R Speakman
- Institute of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Developmental Biology, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Coline Marciau
- Centre D'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé, CNRS, La Rochelle Université, UMR 7372, Villiers-en-Bois, France
| | - Yan Ropert-Coudert
- Centre D'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé, CNRS, La Rochelle Université, UMR 7372, Villiers-en-Bois, France
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11
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Vinetti G, Lopomo NF, Taboni A, Fagoni N, Ferretti G. The current use of wearable sensors to enhance safety and performance in breath-hold diving: A systematic review. Diving Hyperb Med 2020; 50:54-65. [PMID: 32187619 DOI: 10.28920/dhm50.1.54-65] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2019] [Accepted: 10/19/2019] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Measuring physiological parameters at depth is an emergent challenge for athletic training, diver's safety and biomedical research. Recent advances in wearable sensor technology made this challenge affordable; however, its impact on breath-hold diving has never been comprehensively discussed. METHODS We performed a systematic review of the literature in order to assess what types of sensors are available or suitable for human breath-hold diving, within the two-fold perspective of safety and athletic performance. RESULTS In the 52 studies identified, sensed physiological variables were: electrocardiogram, body temperature, blood pressure, peripheral oxygen saturation, interstitial glucose concentration, impedance cardiography, heart rate, body segment inertia and orientation. CONCLUSIONS Limits and potential of each technology are separately reviewed. Inertial sensor technology and transmission pulse oximetry could produce the greatest impact on breath-hold diving performances in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giovanni Vinetti
- Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy.,Department of Information Engineering, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy.,Corresponding author: Dr Giovanni Vinetti, Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Brescia, Viale Europa 11-25123, Brescia, Italy,
| | - Nicola F Lopomo
- Department of Information Engineering, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
| | - Anna Taboni
- Department of Anesthesiology, Pharmacology, Intensive Care and Emergencies, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Nazzareno Fagoni
- Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
| | - Guido Ferretti
- Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy.,Department of Anesthesiology, Pharmacology, Intensive Care and Emergencies, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
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12
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Burggren W, Filogonio R, Wang T. Cardiovascular shunting in vertebrates: a practical integration of competing hypotheses. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2019; 95:449-471. [PMID: 31859458 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12572] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2019] [Revised: 10/30/2019] [Accepted: 11/07/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
This review explores the long-standing question: 'Why do cardiovascular shunts occur?' An historical perspective is provided on previous research into cardiac shunts in vertebrates that continues to shape current views. Cardiac shunts and when they occur is then described for vertebrates. Nearly 20 different functional reasons have been proposed as specific causes of shunts, ranging from energy conservation to improved gas exchange, and including a plethora of functions related to thermoregulation, digestion and haemodynamics. It has even been suggested that shunts are merely an evolutionary or developmental relic. Having considered the various hypotheses involving cardiovascular shunting in vertebrates, this review then takes a non-traditional approach. Rather than attempting to identify the single 'correct' reason for the occurrence of shunts, we advance a more holistic, integrative approach that embraces multiple, non-exclusive suites of proposed causes for shunts, and indicates how these varied functions might at least co-exist, if not actually support each other as shunts serve multiple, concurrent physiological functions. It is argued that deposing the 'monolithic' view of shunting leads to a more nuanced view of vertebrate cardiovascular systems. This review concludes by suggesting new paradigms for testing the function(s) of shunts, including experimentally placing organ systems into conflict in terms of their perfusion needs, reducing sources of variation in physiological experiments, measuring possible compensatory responses to shunt ablation, moving experiments from the laboratory to the field, and using cladistics-related approaches in the choice of experimental animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Warren Burggren
- Department of Biological Sciences, Developmental Integrative Biology Cluster, University of North Texas, Denton, TX, 76203-5220, U.S.A
| | - Renato Filogonio
- Department of Physiological Sciences, Federal University of São Carlos, São Carlos, SP, 13565-905, Brazil
| | - Tobias Wang
- Zoophysiology, Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, Aarhus C, 8000, Denmark.,Aarhus Institute of Advanced Sciences (AIAS), Aarhus University, Aarhus C, 8000, Denmark
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13
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Corbeau A, Prudor A, Kato A, Weimerskirch H. Development of flight and foraging behaviour in a juvenile seabird with extreme soaring capacities. J Anim Ecol 2019; 89:20-28. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2018] [Accepted: 09/23/2019] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Alexandre Corbeau
- Centre d’Études Biologiques de Chizé UMR7372 CNRS‐La Rochelle Université Villiers en Bois France
| | - Aurélien Prudor
- Centre d’Études Biologiques de Chizé UMR7372 CNRS‐La Rochelle Université Villiers en Bois France
| | - Akiko Kato
- Centre d’Études Biologiques de Chizé UMR7372 CNRS‐La Rochelle Université Villiers en Bois France
| | - Henri Weimerskirch
- Centre d’Études Biologiques de Chizé UMR7372 CNRS‐La Rochelle Université Villiers en Bois France
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14
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Morales A, Frei B, Leung C, Titman R, Whelan S, Benowitz-Fredericks ZM, Elliott KH. Point-of-care blood analyzers measure the nutritional state of eighteen free-living bird species. Comp Biochem Physiol A Mol Integr Physiol 2019; 240:110594. [PMID: 31676409 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpa.2019.110594] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2019] [Revised: 10/21/2019] [Accepted: 10/22/2019] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Point-of-care devices offer the potential to democratize a suite of physiological endpoints and assess the nutritional state of wild animals through plasma metabolite profiling. Measurements of plasma metabolites typically occur on frozen tissue in the laboratory, thus dissociating measurements from field observations. Point-of-care devices, widely used in veterinary and human medicine, provide rapid results (seconds or minutes) allowing in situ measurements of wild animals in remote areas without the need for access to freezers. Using point-of-care devices, we measured glucose, triglyceride, cholesterol and β-hydroxybutyrate levels in plasma from 18 wild bird species spanning nine families and three orders. The values from six different point-of-care devices correlated strongly with one another, and with traditional laboratory measurements from stored plasma (R2 = 0.70-0.90). Although POC devices provided accurate relative values in wild birds, absolute values varied from laboratory measurements by up to 50% illustrating the need for calibration equations. Furthermore, three case studies showed the potential for point-of-care devices at research stations where participants do not have access to a lab and sample preservation is difficult: (i) at a remote seabird colony, birds that were provided with supplemental food had higher levels of glucose and lower β-hydroxybutyrate and cholesterol levels than unfed birds, suggesting they were in a better nutritional state; (ii) at a migration monitoring station, levels of triglycerides of two migratory songbirds increased with time of day, implying that they were fattening during stopover; and (iii) for diving seabirds, individuals that worked harder (shorter surface intervals) had higher glucose and lower β-hydroxybutyrate implying that nutritional state is an index of foraging effort and success. We demonstrate that point-of-care devices, once validated, can provide accurate measurements of the nutritional state of wild birds. Such real-time measurements can aid in ecological research and monitoring, care of wildlife at rehabilitation centres, and in veterinary medicine of exotics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Morales
- Department of Natural Resource Sciences, McGill University, Ste. Anne-de-Bellevue, Canada.
| | - Barbara Frei
- McGill Bird Observatory, Ste. Anne-de-Bellevue, Canada; Canadian Wildlife Service - National Capital Region, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Ottawa, Canada
| | - Casey Leung
- Department of Natural Resource Sciences, McGill University, Ste. Anne-de-Bellevue, Canada
| | - Rodger Titman
- Department of Natural Resource Sciences, McGill University, Ste. Anne-de-Bellevue, Canada
| | - Shannon Whelan
- Department of Natural Resource Sciences, McGill University, Ste. Anne-de-Bellevue, Canada
| | | | - Kyle H Elliott
- Department of Natural Resource Sciences, McGill University, Ste. Anne-de-Bellevue, Canada
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15
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Guigueno MF, Shoji A, Elliott KH, Aris-Brosou S. Flight costs in volant vertebrates: A phylogenetically-controlled meta-analysis of birds and bats. Comp Biochem Physiol A Mol Integr Physiol 2019; 235:193-201. [PMID: 31195122 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpa.2019.06.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2018] [Revised: 06/03/2019] [Accepted: 06/05/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Flight costs play an important role in determining the behavior, ecology, and physiology of birds and bats. Mechanical flight costs can be estimated from aerodynamics. However, measured metabolic flight costs (oxygen consumption rate) are less accurately predicted by flight theory, either because of (1) variation in flight efficiency across species, (2) variation in how basal costs interact with flight costs or (3) methodological biases. To tease apart these three hypotheses, we conducted a phylogenetically-controlled meta-analysis based on data from birds and bats. Birds doing short flights in a lab had higher metabolic rates than those with sustained flapping flight. In turn, species that used sustained flapping flight had a higher metabolic rate than those that flew primarily via gliding. Models accounting for relatedness (phylogeny) explained the data better than those that did not, which is congruent with the idea that several different flight Bauplans have evolved within birds and bats. Focusing on species with sustained flapping flight, for which more data are currently available, we found that flight cost estimates were not affected by measurement methods in both birds and bats. However, efficiency increased with body mass and decreased with flight speed in both birds and bats. Basal metabolic rate was additive to flight metabolic rate in bats but not birds. We use these results to derive an equation for estimating metabolic flight costs of birds and bats that includes variation in whole animal efficiency with flight speed and body mass.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Akiko Shoji
- Faculty of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
| | - Kyle H Elliott
- Department of Natural Resource Sciences, McGill University, Sainte Anne-de-Bellevue, Québec, Canada
| | - Stéphane Aris-Brosou
- Departments of Biology and of Mathematics & Statistics, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
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16
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O'Mara MT, Scharf AK, Fahr J, Abedi-Lartey M, Wikelski M, Dechmann DKN, Safi K. Overall Dynamic Body Acceleration in Straw-Colored Fruit Bats Increases in Headwinds but Not With Airspeed. Front Ecol Evol 2019. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2019.00200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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17
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Studd EK, Boudreau MR, Majchrzak YN, Menzies AK, Peers MJL, Seguin JL, Lavergne SG, Boonstra R, Murray DL, Boutin S, Humphries MM. Use of Acceleration and Acoustics to Classify Behavior, Generate Time Budgets, and Evaluate Responses to Moonlight in Free-Ranging Snowshoe Hares. Front Ecol Evol 2019. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2019.00154] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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18
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Hicks O, Burthe SJ, Daunt F, Newell M, Butler A, Ito M, Sato K, Green JA. The energetic cost of parasitism in a wild population. Proc Biol Sci 2019; 285:rspb.2018.0489. [PMID: 29848646 PMCID: PMC5998108 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2018.0489] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2018] [Accepted: 05/08/2018] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Parasites have profound fitness effects on their hosts, yet these are often sub-lethal, making them difficult to understand and quantify. A principal sub-lethal mechanism that reduces fitness is parasite-induced increase in energetic costs of specific behaviours, potentially resulting in changes to time and energy budgets. However, quantifying the influence of parasites on these costs has not been undertaken in free-living animals. We used accelerometers to estimate energy expenditure on flying, diving and resting, in relation to a natural gradient of endo-parasite loads in a wild population of European shags Phalacrocorax aristotelis. We found that flight costs were 10% higher in adult females with higher parasite loads and these individuals spent 44% less time flying than females with lower parasite loads. There was no evidence for an effect of parasite load on daily energy expenditure, suggesting the existence of an energy ceiling, with the increase in cost of flight compensated for by a reduction in flight duration. These behaviour specific costs of parasitism will have knock-on effects on reproductive success, if constraints on foraging behaviour detrimentally affect provisioning of young. The findings emphasize the importance of natural parasite loads in shaping the ecology and life-history of their hosts, which can have significant population level consequences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olivia Hicks
- School of Environmental Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 3GP, UK
| | - Sarah J Burthe
- Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Bush Estate, Penicuik, Midlothian, EH26 0QB, UK
| | - Francis Daunt
- Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Bush Estate, Penicuik, Midlothian, EH26 0QB, UK
| | - Mark Newell
- Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Bush Estate, Penicuik, Midlothian, EH26 0QB, UK
| | - Adam Butler
- Biomathematics and Statistics Scotland, James Clerk Maxwell Building, The King's Buildings, Peter Guthrie Tait Road, Edinburgh EH9 3FD, UK
| | - Motohiro Ito
- Department of Applied Biosciences, Faculty of Life Sciences, Tokyo University, 1-1-1 Izumino, Itakura-machi, Ora-gun, Gunma 374-0193, Japan
| | - Katsufumi Sato
- Atmosphere and Ocean Research Institute, The University of Tokyo, 5-1-5 Kashiwanoha, Kashiwa City, Chiba Prefecture, 277-8564, Japan
| | - Jonathan A Green
- School of Environmental Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 3GP, UK
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19
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Yoda K. Advances in bio-logging techniques and their application to study navigation in wild seabirds. Adv Robot 2018. [DOI: 10.1080/01691864.2018.1553686] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Ken Yoda
- Graduate School of Environmental Studies, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan
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20
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Chmura HE, Glass TW, Williams CT. Biologging Physiological and Ecological Responses to Climatic Variation: New Tools for the Climate Change Era. Front Ecol Evol 2018. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2018.00092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
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21
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Cole EL, Waggitt JJ, Hedenstrom A, Piano M, Holton MD, Börger L, Shepard ELC. The Ornithodolite as a tool to quantify animal space use and habitat selection: a case study with birds diving in tidal waters. Integr Zool 2018; 14:4-16. [PMID: 29851279 DOI: 10.1111/1749-4877.12327] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Animal-attached technologies can be powerful means to quantify space use and behavior; however, there are also ethical implications associated with capturing and instrumenting animals. Furthermore, tagging approaches are not necessarily well-suited for examining the movements of multiple individuals within specific, local areas of interest. Here, we assess a method of quantifying animal space use based on a modified theodolite with an inbuilt laser rangefinder. Using a database of >4200 tracks of migrating birds, we show that detection distance increases with bird body mass (range 5 g to >10 kg). The maximum distance recorded to a bird was 5500 m and measurement error was ≤5 m for targets within this distance range: a level comparable to methods such as GPS tagging. We go on to present a case study where this method was used to assess habitat selection in seabirds operating in dynamic coastal waters close to a tidal turbine. Combining positional data with outputs from a hydrographic model revealed that great cormorants (Phalacrocorax carbo) appeared to be highly selective of current characteristics in space and time, exploiting areas where mean current speeds were <0.8 m·s-1 and diving at times when turbulent energy levels were low. These birds also oriented into tidal currents during dives. Taken together, this suggests that collision risks are low for cormorants at this site, as the 2 conditions avoided by cormorants (high mean current speeds and turbulence levels) are associated with operational tidal turbines. Overall, we suggest that this modified theodolite system is well-suited to the quantification of movement in small areas associated with particular development strategies, including sustainable energy devices.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - James J Waggitt
- School of Ocean Sciences, Bangor University, Menai Bridge, UK
| | | | - Marco Piano
- Centre for Applied Marine Sciences, Bangor University, Menai Bridge, UK
| | - Mark D Holton
- Department of Biosciences, Swansea University, Swansea, UK
| | - Luca Börger
- Department of Biosciences, Swansea University, Swansea, UK
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22
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Bidder OR, Goulding C, Toledo A, van Walsum TA, Siebert U, Halsey LG. Does the Treadmill Support Valid Energetics Estimates of Field Locomotion? Integr Comp Biol 2018; 57:301-319. [PMID: 28859410 DOI: 10.1093/icb/icx038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
SYNOPSIS Quantifying animal energy expenditure during locomotion in the field is generally based either on treadmill measurements or on estimates derived from a measured proxy. Two common proxies are heart rate (ƒH) and dynamic body acceleration (accelerometry). Both ƒH and accelerometry have been calibrated extensively under laboratory conditions, which typically involve prompting the animal to locomote on a treadmill at different speeds while simultaneously recording its rate of oxygen uptake (V̇o2) and the proxy. Field estimates of V̇o2 during locomotion obtained directly from treadmill running or from treadmill-calibrated proxies make assumptions about similarities between running in the field and in the laboratory. The present study investigated these assumptions, focusing on humans as a tractable species. First we investigated experimentally if and how the rate of energy expenditure during treadmill locomotion differs to that during field locomotion at the same speeds, with participants walking and running on a treadmill, on tarmac, and on grass, while wearing a mobile respirometry system. V̇o2 was substantially higher during locomotion in both of the field conditions compared with on a level treadmill: 9.1% on tarmac and 17.7% on grass. Second, we included these data in a meta-analysis of previous, related studies. The results were influenced by the studies excluded due to particulars of the experiment design, suggesting that participant age, the surface type, and the degree of turning during field locomotion may influence by how much treadmill and field locomotion V̇o2 differ. Third, based on our experiments described earlier, we investigated the accuracy of treadmill-calibrated accelerometry and ƒH for estimating V̇o2 in the field. The mean algebraic estimate errors varied between 10% and 35%, with the ƒH associated errors being larger than those derived from accelerometry. The mean algebraic errors were all underestimates of field V̇o2, by around 10% for fH and varying between 0% and 15% for accelerometry. Researchers should question and consider how accurately a treadmill-derived proxy calibration of V̇o2 will estimate V̇o2 during terrestrial locomotion in free-living animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Owen R Bidder
- Institute for Terrestrial and Aquatic Wildlife Research (ITAW), University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Werftstr. 6, Büsum 25761, Germany.,Department of Environmental Science, Policy and Management, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Colette Goulding
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Roehampton, London SW15?4JD, UK
| | - Alejandra Toledo
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Roehampton, London SW15?4JD, UK
| | - Tessa A van Walsum
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Roehampton, London SW15?4JD, UK
| | - Ursula Siebert
- Institute for Terrestrial and Aquatic Wildlife Research (ITAW), University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Werftstr. 6, Büsum 25761, Germany
| | - Lewis G Halsey
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Roehampton, London SW15?4JD, UK
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23
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O'Mara MT, Wikelski M, Voigt CC, Ter Maat A, Pollock HS, Burness G, Desantis LM, Dechmann DK. Cyclic bouts of extreme bradycardia counteract the high metabolism of frugivorous bats. eLife 2017; 6. [PMID: 28923167 PMCID: PMC5605195 DOI: 10.7554/elife.26686] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2017] [Accepted: 08/13/2017] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Active flight requires the ability to efficiently fuel bursts of costly locomotion while maximizing energy conservation during non-flying times. We took a multi-faceted approach to estimate how fruit-eating bats (Uroderma bilobatum) manage a high-energy lifestyle fueled primarily by fig juice. Miniaturized heart rate telemetry shows that they use a novel, cyclic, bradycardic state that reduces daily energetic expenditure by 10% and counteracts heart rates as high as 900 bpm during flight. Uroderma bilobatum support flight with some of the fastest metabolic incorporation rates and dynamic circulating cortisol in vertebrates. These bats will exchange fat reserves within 24 hr, meaning that they must survive on the food of the day and are at daily risk of starvation. Energetic flexibly in U. bilobatum highlights the fundamental role of ecological pressures on integrative energetic networks and the still poorly understood energetic strategies of animals in the tropics. To survive, all animals have to balance how much energy they take in and how much they use. They must find enough food to fuel the chemical processes that keep them alive – known as their metabolism – and store leftover fuel to use when food is not available. Bats, for example, have a fast metabolism and powerful flight muscles, which require a lot of energy. Some bat species, such as the tent-making bats, survive on fruit juice, and their food sources are often far apart and difficult to find. These bats are likely to starve if they go without food for more than 24 hours, and therefore need to conserve energy while they are resting. To deal with potential food shortages, bats and other animals can enter a low-energy resting state called torpor. In this state, animals lower their body temperature and slow down their heart rate and metabolism so that they need less energy to stay alive. However, many animals that live in tropical regions, including tent-making bats, cannot enter a state of torpor, as it is too hot to sufficiently lower their body temperature. Until now, scientists did not fully understand how these bats control how much energy they use. Now, O’Mara et al. studied tent-making bats in the wild by attaching small heart rate transmitters to four wild bats, and measured their heartbeats over several days. Since each heartbeat delivers oxygen and fuel to the rest of the body, measuring the bats’ heart rate indicates how much energy they are using. The experiments revealed for the first time that tent-making bats periodically lower their heart rates while resting (to around 200 beats per minute). This reduces the amount of energy they use each day by up to 10%, and helps counteract heart rates that can reach 900 beats per minute when the bats are flying. Overall, these findings show that animals have evolved in various ways to control their use of energy. Future research should use similar technology to continue uncovering how wild animals have adapted to survive in different conditions. This knowledge will help us to understand how life has become so diverse in the tropics and the strategies that animals may use as climates change.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Teague O'Mara
- Department of Migration and Immuno-ecology, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Radolfzell, Germany.,Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany.,Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panama City, Panama.,Zukunftskolleg, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Martin Wikelski
- Department of Migration and Immuno-ecology, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Radolfzell, Germany.,Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
| | | | - Andries Ter Maat
- Department of Behavioural Neurobiology, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Starnberg, Germany
| | - Henry S Pollock
- Program in Ecology, Evolution and Conservation Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, United States
| | - Gary Burness
- Department of Biology, Trent University, Peterborough, Canada
| | - Lanna M Desantis
- Environmental and Life Sciences Graduate Program, Trent University, Peterborough, Canada
| | - Dina Kn Dechmann
- Department of Migration and Immuno-ecology, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Radolfzell, Germany.,Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany.,Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panama City, Panama
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24
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Masello JF, Kato A, Sommerfeld J, Mattern T, Quillfeldt P. How animals distribute themselves in space: variable energy landscapes. Front Zool 2017; 14:33. [PMID: 28694838 PMCID: PMC5499017 DOI: 10.1186/s12983-017-0219-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2017] [Accepted: 06/28/2017] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Foraging efficiency determines whether animals will be able to raise healthy broods, maintain their own condition, avoid predators and ultimately increase their fitness. Using accelerometers and GPS loggers, features of the habitat and the way animals deal with variable conditions can be translated into energetic costs of movement, which, in turn, can be translated to energy landscapes.We investigated energy landscapes in Gentoo Penguins Pygoscelis papua from two colonies at New Island, Falkland/Malvinas Islands. RESULTS In our study, the marine areas used by the penguins, parameters of dive depth and the proportion of pelagic and benthic dives varied both between years and colonies. As a consequence, the energy landscapes also varied between the years, and we discuss how this was related to differences in food availability, which were also reflected in differences in carbon and nitrogen stable isotope values and isotopic niche metrics. In the second year, the energy landscape was characterized by lower foraging costs per energy gain, and breeding success was also higher in this year. Additionally, an area around three South American Fur Seal Arctocephalus australis colonies was never used. CONCLUSIONS These results confirm that energy landscapes vary in time and that the seabirds forage in areas of the energy landscapes that result in minimized energetic costs. Thus, our results support the view of energy landscapes and fear of predation as mechanisms underlying animal foraging behaviour. Furthermore, we show that energy landscapes are useful in linking energy gain and variable energy costs of foraging to breeding success.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan F Masello
- Department of Animal Ecology & Systematics, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Heinrich-Buff-Ring 26, D-35392 Giessen, Germany
| | - Akiko Kato
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé, UMR7372 CNRS-Université La Rochelle, 79360 Villiers en Bois, France
| | - Julia Sommerfeld
- Department of Animal Ecology & Systematics, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Heinrich-Buff-Ring 26, D-35392 Giessen, Germany
| | - Thomas Mattern
- Department of Animal Ecology & Systematics, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Heinrich-Buff-Ring 26, D-35392 Giessen, Germany
| | - Petra Quillfeldt
- Department of Animal Ecology & Systematics, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Heinrich-Buff-Ring 26, D-35392 Giessen, Germany
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25
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Hicks O, Burthe S, Daunt F, Butler A, Bishop C, Green JA. Validating accelerometry estimates of energy expenditure across behaviours using heart rate data in a free-living seabird. J Exp Biol 2017; 220:1875-1881. [PMID: 28258086 PMCID: PMC5450806 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.152710] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2016] [Accepted: 02/28/2017] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Two main techniques have dominated the field of ecological energetics: the heart rate and doubly labelled water methods. Although well established, they are not without their weaknesses, namely expense, intrusiveness and lack of temporal resolution. A new technique has been developed using accelerometers; it uses the overall dynamic body acceleration (ODBA) of an animal as a calibrated proxy for energy expenditure. This method provides high-resolution data without the need for surgery. Significant relationships exist between the rate of oxygen consumption (V̇O2 ) and ODBA in controlled conditions across a number of taxa; however, it is not known whether ODBA represents a robust proxy for energy expenditure consistently in all natural behaviours and there have been specific questions over its validity during diving, in diving endotherms. Here, we simultaneously deployed accelerometers and heart rate loggers in a wild population of European shags (Phalacrocorax aristotelis). Existing calibration relationships were then used to make behaviour-specific estimates of energy expenditure for each of these two techniques. Compared with heart rate-derived estimates, the ODBA method predicts energy expenditure well during flight and diving behaviour, but overestimates the cost of resting behaviour. We then combined these two datasets to generate a new calibration relationship between ODBA and V̇O2 that accounts for this by being informed by heart rate-derived estimates. Across behaviours we found a good relationship between ODBA and V̇O2 Within individual behaviours, we found useable relationships between ODBA and V̇O2 for flight and resting, and a poor relationship during diving. The error associated with these new calibration relationships mostly originates from the previous heart rate calibration rather than the error associated with the ODBA method. The equations provide tools for understanding how energy constrains ecology across the complex behaviour of free-living diving birds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olivia Hicks
- Department of Earth, Ocean and Ecological Sciences, School of Environmental Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 3GP, UK
| | - Sarah Burthe
- Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Bush Estate, Penicuik, Midlothian EH26 0QB, UK
| | - Francis Daunt
- Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Bush Estate, Penicuik, Midlothian EH26 0QB, UK
| | - Adam Butler
- Biomathematics and Statistics Scotland, James Clerk Maxwell Building, The King's Buildings, Peter Guthrie Tait Road, Edinburgh EH9 3FD, UK
| | - Charles Bishop
- School of Biological Sciences, Bangor University, Gwynedd LL57 2UW, UK
| | - Jonathan A Green
- Department of Earth, Ocean and Ecological Sciences, School of Environmental Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 3GP, UK
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26
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Halsey LG. Relationships grow with time: a note of caution about energy expenditure‐proxy correlations, focussing on accelerometry as an example. Funct Ecol 2017. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.12822] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Lewis G. Halsey
- University of Roehampton Holybourne Avenue LondonSW15 4JD UK
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27
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Altimiras J, Anderson WG. Ecophysiology methods: Refining the old, validating the new and developing for the future. Comp Biochem Physiol A Mol Integr Physiol 2016; 202:1-2. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpa.2016.07.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
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