A new study has found that elephant seals have to work very hard to stay fat. The research represents the most complete study to date of the feeding behavior of northern elephant seals. Scientists paid special attention to females of the species during difficult two-month trips, or migrations, in the northeastern Pacific Ocean. The seals were found to spend up to 20 hours every day - and sometimes a full 24 hours - in continuous deep-diving to feed on fish. They fed 1,000 to 2,000 times daily to gain the body fat necessary for reproduction and warmth in the cold waters. Taiki Adachi of the University of St Andrews in Scotland led the study, which recently appeared in the journal Science Advances. It is not easy to get fat, Adachi said. Researchers studied 48 female elephant seals from Ao Nuevo State Park in California as they traveled large ocean distances. Their entire trip was around 6,000 kilometers. Scientists based their findings on data collected in 2011 and 2018. They used three small removable devices. One device, attached under the jaw, counted the number of times the seals fed and measured their depth. A second satellite-linked device, attached to the head, followed the seals’ ocean movements. The third device was a smart video camera with an infra-red LED light and another depth sensor. It was also attached to the head. Elephant seals get their name from the large noses of the males. These noses look like an elephant's trunk. There are two species - the northern elephant seal and the slightly larger southern elephant seal. The two are the world's biggest seals and the largest ocean mammals other than whales.
Title: Study: Elephant Seals Do a Lot of Work to Stay Fat
Content: <div id='article-page'><div id='article-content' data-media-url='//news-app-staging.s3.amazonaws.com' data-base-url='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5092/B.wav' data-capture-url='//staging.analytics.lingraphica.com/events/capture_news' data-article-title='Study: Elephant Seals Do a Lot of Work to Stay Fat' data-article-id='5660'><script src='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com/javascripts/getscripts.js'></script><link rel='stylesheet' href='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com/stylesheets/article.css' type='text/css' /><div class='article'><p><span data-start-time='0' data-end-time='8479'>A new study has found that elephant seals have to work very hard to stay fat.</span> <span data-start-time='8479' data-end-time='18104'>The research represents the most complete study to date of the feeding behavior of northern elephant seals. </span> <span data-start-time='18104' data-end-time='31479'>Scientists paid special attention to females of the species during difficult two-month trips, or migrations, in the northeastern Pacific Ocean.</span> <span data-start-time='31479' data-end-time='45854'>The seals were found to spend up to 20 hours every day - and sometimes a full 24 hours - in continuous deep-diving to feed on fish. </span> <span data-start-time='45854' data-end-time='58917'>They fed 1,000 to 2,000 times daily to gain the body fat necessary for reproduction and warmth in the cold waters.</span> <span data-start-time='58917' data-end-time='71625'>Taiki Adachi of the University of St Andrews in Scotland led the study, which recently appeared in the journal Science Advances.</span> <span data-start-time='71625' data-end-time='76250'>It is not easy to get fat, Adachi said.</span> <span data-start-time='76250' data-end-time='89688'>Researchers studied 48 female elephant seals from Ao Nuevo State Park in California as they traveled large ocean distances. </span> <span data-start-time='89688' data-end-time='94958'>Their entire trip was around 6,000 kilometers.</span> <span data-start-time='94958' data-end-time='103438'>Scientists based their findings on data collected in 2011 and 2018. </span> <span data-start-time='103438' data-end-time='108063'>They used three small removable devices.</span> <span data-start-time='108063' data-end-time='118229'>One device, attached under the jaw, counted the number of times the seals fed and measured their depth. </span> <span data-start-time='118229' data-end-time='127000'>A second satellite-linked device, attached to the head, followed the seals’ ocean movements.</span> <span data-start-time='127000' data-end-time='137438'>The third device was a smart video camera with an infra-red LED light and another depth sensor. </span> <span data-start-time='137438' data-end-time='141125'>It was also attached to the head.</span> <span data-start-time='141125' data-end-time='147333'>Elephant seals get their name from the large noses of the males. </span> <span data-start-time='147333' data-end-time='151479'>These noses look like an elephant's trunk. </span> <span data-start-time='151479' data-end-time='160250'>There are two species - the northern elephant seal and the slightly larger southern elephant seal. </span> <span data-start-time='160250' data-end-time='169125'>The two are the world's biggest seals and the largest ocean mammals other than whales.</span> </p></div><div class='control-buttons-sticky' style='display:none;'><div class='control-buttons'><button title='Back' class='back' disabled='disabled'></button><button title='Play' class='play' disabled='disabled'></button><button title='Pause' class='pause' style='display:none;'></button><button title='Forward' class='forward' disabled='disabled'></button><button class='finished-reading' style='display:none;'>Done</button></div></div></div><div id='article-media'><div id='media-image'><img src='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5092/B.jpeg'/></div></div><div id='question-content' style='display:none;'><div class='vocabulary_question question-container' data-question-id=17482 data-hint-location='108063' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5092/what_is_a_jaw.wav'>What is a jaw?</div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='Either one of the two bones of the face where teeth grow'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5092/either_one_of_the_two_bones_of_the_face_where_teeth_grow.wav'><span>Either one of the two bones of the face where teeth grow</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5092/the_lower_extremity_of_the_leg_below_the_ankle.wav'><span>The lower extremity of the leg below the ankle</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5092/the_organ_of_hearing_and_balance_in_humans_and_other_vertebrates.wav'><span>The organ of hearing and balance in humans and other vertebrates</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5092/the_upper_joint_of_the_arm.wav'><span>The upper joint of the arm</span></div></div></div><div class='multiple_choice_question question-container' data-question-id=17483 data-hint-location='160250' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5092/what_ocean_mammals_are_bigger_than_elephant_seals.wav'>What ocean mammals are bigger than elephant seals?</div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='whales'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5092/sea_otters.wav'><span>sea otters</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5092/whales.wav'><span>whales</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5092/bottlenose_dolphins.wav'><span>bottlenose dolphins</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5092/harp_seals.wav'><span>harp seals</span></div></div></div><div class='sentence_completion_question question-container' data-question-id=17484 data-hint-location='147333' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5092/these_noses_look_like_an_elephants__blank__.wav'>These noses look like an elephant's <span class='blank'>trunk</span>. </div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='trunk'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5092/ear.wav'><span>ear</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5092/trunk.wav'><span>trunk</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5092/foot.wav'><span>foot</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5092/tusk.wav'><span>tusk</span></div></div></div><div class='question-buttons'><button class='skip-button'></button><button class='hint-button'></button><button class='speak-button'></button></div></div></div>
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