Dolphins are able to avoid decompression sickness when deep in the ocean by consciously dropping their own heart rates before diving, a new study revealed. 'When asked to hold their breath, their heart rates lowered before or immediately as they began the breath-hold. The results reveal that dolphins, and possibly other marine mammals, may consciously alter their heart rate to suit the length of their planned dive. Avoiding sudden loud disturbances and instead slowly increasing the noise level over time would reduce stress levels for diving marine mammals, he said. Stock image'We used custom-made equipment to measure the lung function of the animals, and attached electrocardiogram (ECG) sensors to measure their heart rates,' he said.

Source: Daily Mail November 24, 2020 05:17 UTC