1117 / 2024-09-20 13:06:50

Non-invasive heart rate monitoring opens up new avenues for research in sea turtles

sea turtles,biologging,heart rate

Session 72 - Sea turtle and marine mammal conservation: management, academic and outreach perspectives

As global environmental changes raise concerns, understanding how animals respond to habitat changes and human-induced stress is crucial. Heart rate, regulated by autonomic nervous system, is also modulated by factors such as physical exercise and stress, making it a widely used indicator of internal conditions in medical and physiological studies involving humans and livestock etc. Recently, a non-invasive method has been developed to measure the heart rate of freely moving sea turtles using electrocardiogram loggers. This method does not require surgical insertion of electrodes; instead, adhesive electrode pads can be attached to the carapace. This approach minimizes stress on the turtles and allows for measurements of turtles across a wide range of developmental stages. Here, we present our recent research projects that aim to assess internal physiological states, such as metabolic rate and stress responses, which cannot be fully captured through behavioral observation alone. The significance of non-invasive heart rate monitoring and potential future directions for research will be addressed.