Thermoregulation

In cold waters the seals are facing the problem of loosing too much body heat due to the increased thermal conductivity of water. Therefore seals have developed isolation mechanisms to prevent heat loss. However, on land the seals are faced with the opposite problem of getting rid of excessive heat. Our research revealed that phocid seals can dissipate heat via thermal windows which are well-vascularized areas on the body (Mauck, Eysel & Dehnhardt 2003). In this project we examined the development of thermal windows in detail. Furthermore thermoregulatory aspects of fur seals are investigated for comparison.

In the video which was filmed with the help of an infrared thermo-camera the development of thermal windows on the body of harbour seals close to the back flippers can be observed. The temperature in the video is colour-coded with blue referring to low temperatures down to 18°C and red referring to high temperatures up to maximal 38°C.