Seal oxygen consumption

Oxygen consumption rate at rest can be calculated as follows:

VO₂ (rest) = F x (FIO₂ - FEO₂) / [m x (1 - FIO₂)], where

F is the flow rate (mL/min), FIO₂ is the oxygen entering the dome, FEO₂ is the oxygen exiting the dome and m is the seal mass (kg).

To calculate the oxygen consumption rate during a dive, time is also added to the equation:

VO₂ (dive) = F x (FIO₂ - FEO₂) / [m x (1 - FIO₂)], where

F is the flow rate (mL/min), FIO₂ is the oxygen entering the dome, FEO₂ is the oxygen exiting the dome, m is the seal mass (kg) and t is the duration of the dive (min).

For the dives we monitored today, here is a comparison of the oxygen consumption rates:

At rest: 4.55 mL/min

For the 12-minute dive: 4.88 mL/min

For the 30-minute dive: 4.48 mL/min

As you can see, the seal used approximately the same or a bit less oxygen per minute during a 30-minute dive than they use during a 12-minute dive.

Seals show a much reduced factorial increase in oxygen consumption during diving relative to humans.