Respiratory Function in Voluntary Participating Patagonia Sea Lions (Otaria flavescens) in Sternal Recumbency

We measured esophageal pressures (n = 4), respiratory flow rates (n = 5), and expired O2 and CO2 (n = 4) in five adult Patagonia sea lions (Otaria flavescens, body mass range 94.3–286.0 kg) during voluntary breaths while laying down out of water. The data were used to estimate the dynamic specific lung compliance (sCL), the O2 consumption rate (V˙O2) and CO2 production rates (V˙CO2) during rest. Our results indicate that the resting tidal volume in Patagonia sea lions is approximately 47–73% of the estimated total lung capacity. The esophageal pressures indicated that expiration is passive during voluntary breaths. The average sCL of sea lions was 0.41 ± 0.11 cmH2O−1, which is similar to those measured in anesthetized sea lions and awake cetaceans, and significantly higher as compared to humans (0.08 cmH2O−1). The average estimated V˙O2 and V˙CO2 using breath-by-breath respirometry were 1.023 ± 0.327 L O2 min−1 (range: 0.695–1.514 L O2 min−1) and 0.777 ± 0.318 L CO2 min−1, (range: 0.510–1.235 L CO2 min−1), respectively, which is similar to previously published metabolic measurements from California and Steller sea lions using conventional flow-through respirometry. Our data provide end-tidal gas composition and offer novel data for respiratory physiology in pinnipeds, which may be important for clinical medicine and conservation efforts.