Diving physiology of marine mammals and seabirds / Paul J. Ponganis.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

1 Diving behavior -- 2 Challenges of the breath hold and the environment -- 3 Respiratory gas exchange -- 4 Oxygen storage and transport -- 5 Cardiovascular dive response -- 6 Adaptations in cardiovascular anatomy and hemodynamics -- 7 Muscle and locomotory work -- 8 Thermoregulation -- 9 Diving metabolism -- 10 The aerobic dive limit -- 11 Oxygen store depletion and hypoxemic tolerance -- 12 Pressure tolerance -- 13 Bio-medical relevance.

Analysing the physiological adaptations of marine mammals and seabirds, this book provides a comprehensive overview of what allows these species to overcome the challenges of diving to depth on a single breath of air. Through comparative reviews of texts on diving physiology and behaviour from the last seventy-five years, Ponganis combines this research into one succinct volume. Investigating the diving performance of marine mammals and seabirds, this book illustrates how physiological processes to extreme hypoxia and pressure are relevant to the advancement of our understanding of basic cellular processes and human pathologies. This book underscores the biomedical and ecological relevance of the anatomical, physiological and molecular/biophysical adaptations of these animals to enable further research in this area. An important resource for students and researchers, this text not only provides an essential overview of recent research in the field, but will stimulate further research into the behaviour and physiology of diving.