Falke K J, Hill R D, Qvist J, Schneider R C, Guppy M, Liggins G C, Hochachka P W, Elliott R E, Zapol W M
Science. 1985 Aug 9;229(4713):556-8. doi: 10.1126/science.4023700.
Arterial blood nitrogen tensions of free-diving Weddell seals (Leptonychotes weddelli) were measured by attaching a microprocessor-controlled blood pump and drawing samples at depth to determine how these marine mammals dive to great depths and ascend rapidly without developing decompression sickness. Forty-seven samples of arterial blood were obtained from four Weddell seals during free dives lasting up to 23 minutes to depths of 230 meters beneath the sea ice of McMurdo Sound, Antarctica. Peak arterial blood nitrogen tensions of between 2000 and 2500 millimeters of mercury were recorded at depths of 40 to 80 meters during descent, indicating that the seal's lung collapses by 25 to 50 meters. Then arterial blood nitrogen tensions slowly decreased to about 1500 millimeters of mercury at the surface. In a single dive, alveolar collapse and redistribution of blood nitrogen allow the seal to avoid nitrogen narcosis and decompression sickness.
通过连接一个微处理器控制的血泵并在深度处抽取样本，来测量自由潜水的威德尔海豹（Leptonychotes weddelli）的动脉血氮张力，以确定这些海洋哺乳动物如何潜入深处并迅速上升而不发生减压病。在南极洲麦克默多湾海冰下长达23分钟、深度达230米的自由潜水中，从四只威德尔海豹身上获取了47份动脉血样本。在下降过程中，在40至80米深处记录到动脉血氮张力峰值在2000至2500毫米汞柱之间，这表明海豹的肺部在25至50米深度时会塌陷。然后动脉血氮张力在水面时缓慢降至约1500毫米汞柱。在单次潜水中，肺泡塌陷和血液氮的重新分布使海豹能够避免氮麻醉和减压病。
