Researchers Record First-Ever Blue Whale Heart Rate, Revealing Physiological Extremes
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2mo ago· 5 min readenNews
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Summary
Stanford University researchers have successfully recorded the first-ever heart rate of a blue whale in the wild using a specialized sensor tag attached to the whale's left flipper. The device, encased in an orange plastic shell, was secured with suction cups and collected data during a daylong ride on the whale. The groundbreaking measurement reveals that blue whale hearts operate at extreme physiological limits, which may constrain the maximum size these marine mammals can achieve.
Key quotes
· 5 pulledEncased in a neon orange plastic shell, a collection of electronic sensors bobbed along the surface of the Monterey Bay, waiting to be retrieved by Stanford University researchers.
A lunchbox-sized speck in the vast waters, it held cargo of outsized importance: the first-ever recording of a blue whale's heart rate.
This device was fresh off a daylong ride on Earth's largest species – a blue whale.
Four suction cups had secured the sensor-packed tag near the whale's left flipper.
The measurement suggests that blue whale hearts are operating at extremes – and may limit the whale's size.
With a lot of ingenuity and a little luck, researchers monitored the heart rate of a blue whale in the wild. The measurement suggests that blue whale hearts are operating at extremes – and may limit the whale’s size.
