Sea turtle hatchlings must avoid numerous predators during dispersal from their nesting beaches to foraging grounds. Hatchlings minimise time spent in predator-dense neritic waters by swimming almost continuously for approximately the first 24 h post-emergence, termed the ‘frenzy’. Post-frenzy, hatchling activity gradually declines as they swim in less predator-dense pelagic waters. It is well documented that hatchlings exhibit elevated metabolic rates during the frenzy to power their almost continuous swimming, but studies on post-frenzy MRs are sparse. We measured the frenzy and post-frenzy oxygen consumption of hatchlings of five species of sea turtle at different activity levels and ages to compare the ontogeny of mass-specific hatchling metabolic rates. Maximal metabolic rates were always higher than resting metabolic rates, but metabolic rates during routine swimming resembled resting metabolic rates in leatherback turtle hatchlings during the frenzy and post-frenzy, and in loggerhead hatchlings during the post-frenzy. Crawling metabolic rates did not differ among species, but green turtles had the highest metabolic rates during frenzy and post-frenzy swimming. Differences in metabolic rate reflect the varying dispersal stratagems of each species and have important implications for dispersal ability, yolk consumption and survival. Our results provide the foundations for links between the physiology and ecology of dispersal of sea turtles.

中文翻译：

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海龟幼体代谢率的个体发育和生态意义

海龟幼体在从筑巢海滩扩散到觅食地的过程中必须避开众多捕食者。幼体在出现后的前 24 小时内几乎连续游泳，从而最大限度地减少在捕食者密集的浅海水域中花费的时间，称为“狂热”。狂热后，孵化活动逐渐减少，因为它们在捕食者密度较低的远洋水域游泳。有充分的证据表明，幼体在狂热期间表现出更高的代谢率，为它们几乎连续游泳提供动力，但对狂热后 MR 的研究很少。我们测量了五种不同活动水平和年龄的海龟幼体的疯狂和疯狂后的耗氧量，以比较质量特异性孵化代谢率的个体发育。最大代谢率总是高于静息代谢率，但常规游泳期间的代谢率与狂潮期和狂潮后棱皮龟幼体的静息代谢率相似，狂潮后赤蠵龟幼体的静息代谢率相似。爬行代谢率在物种之间没有差异，但绿海龟在疯狂和疯狂游泳后的代谢率最高。代谢率的差异反映了每个物种不同的传播策略，对传播能力、蛋黄消耗和生存具有重要意义。我们的研究结果为海龟传播的生理学和生态学之间的联系提供了基础。爬行代谢率在物种之间没有差异，但绿海龟在疯狂和疯狂游泳后的代谢率最高。代谢率的差异反映了每个物种不同的传播策略，对传播能力、蛋黄消耗和生存具有重要意义。我们的研究结果为海龟传播的生理学和生态学之间的联系提供了基础。爬行代谢率在物种之间没有差异，但绿海龟在疯狂和疯狂游泳后的代谢率最高。代谢率的差异反映了每个物种不同的传播策略，对传播能力、蛋黄消耗和生存具有重要意义。我们的研究结果为海龟传播的生理学和生态学之间的联系提供了基础。