Standard metrics of respiratory function include minimum air volume (MAV) and total lung capacity (TLC). Finally, measures of total body volume reveal differences in body density and net vertical forces in the water column that influence costs associated with diving and foraging in free-ranging seals. We also demonstrate that, whereas established allometric relationships hold well for most pinnipeds, these relationships consistently overestimate TLC for the smallest phocid seal. The results suggest that lung oxygen stores determined in vivo are smaller than those derived from postmortem measurements. Three-dimensional models created from computed tomography (CT) images were used to quantify total lung capacity (TLC), respiratory dead space, minimum air volume and total body volume to improve assessment of lung oxygen storage capacity, scaling relationships and buoyant force estimates. Here, we used biomedical imaging to examine lung oxygen stores and other key respiratory parameters in living ringed seals ( Pusa hispida). Marine mammals rely on oxygen stored in blood, muscle and lungs to support breath-hold diving and foraging at sea.
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