Rate Of Energy Delivery Research Articles

Environmental variation and the demography and diet of thick-billed murres

MEPS Marine Ecology Progress Series Contact the journal Facebook Twitter RSS Mailing List Subscribe to our mailing list via Mailchimp HomeLatest VolumeAbout the JournalEditorsTheme Sections MEPS 454:237-249 (2012) - DOI: https://doi.org/10.3354/meps09589 Environmental variation and the demography and diet of thick-billed murres Paul A. Smith*, Anthony J. Gaston Environment Canada − National Wildlife Research Centre, Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0H3, Canada *Email: paul_smith@smitheco.ca ABSTRACT: Conditions in arctic marine environments are changing rapidly, and understanding the link between environmental and demographic parameters could help to predict the consequences of future change for arctic seabirds. Over 20 yr (1988 to 2007), we studied colony attendance, adult survival and reproductive success of thick-billed murres, as well as the departure masses and diets of their chicks at Coats Island, Nunavut, Canada (62.95° N, 82.00° W). We evaluated how each parameter responded to climatic conditions near the colony during the breeding season, and in the winter range during the non-breeding period (delineated using geolocation). We used the Arctic Oscillation (AO) and North Atlantic Oscillation indices, as well as local variables to describe ice, oceanographic and weather conditions. We demonstrate that adult survival varied little among years but was higher after winters with lower AO indices, more ice in the south-western part of the winter range in spring, and cooler sea surface temperatures (SST). By comparison, interannual variation in breeding parameters (breeding success, chick mass and diet) was pronounced and responded to SST and ice conditions near the colony. Counts of birds attending the colony, influenced heavily by pre-breeders, were most strongly related to the conditions that influenced adult survival; counts were positively related to ice concentration in the south-west of the winter range. Relationships between climatic conditions and demographic parameters were often lagged, suggesting effects mediated through the food web. The trend towards higher SST and less ice in the vicinity of the colony has not yet reduced reproductive success. However, a significant, ongoing decline in the rate of energy delivery to nestlings suggests that a critical threshold may eventually be crossed. KEY WORDS: Demography · Survival · Reproduction · Climate · Thick-billed murre · Uria lomvia Full text in pdf format Supplementary material PreviousNextCite this article as: Smith PA, Gaston AJ (2012) Environmental variation and the demography and diet of thick-billed murres. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 454:237-249. https://doi.org/10.3354/meps09589 Export citation RSS - Facebook - Tweet - linkedIn Cited by Published in MEPS Vol. 454. Online publication date: May 21, 2012 Print ISSN: 0171-8630; Online ISSN: 1616-1599 Copyright © 2012 Inter-Research.

Muscle Carnosine Metabolism and β-Alanine Supplementation in Relation to Exercise and Training

Carnosine is a dipeptide with a high concentration in mammalian skeletal muscle. It is synthesized by carnosine synthase from the amino acids L-histidine and beta-alanine, of which the latter is the rate-limiting precursor, and degraded by carnosinase. Recent studies have shown that the chronic oral ingestion of beta-alanine can substantially elevate (up to 80%) the carnosine content of human skeletal muscle. Interestingly, muscle carnosine loading leads to improved performance in high-intensity exercise in both untrained and trained individuals. Although carnosine is not involved in the classic adenosine triphosphate-generating metabolic pathways, this suggests an important role of the dipeptide in the homeostasis of contracting muscle cells, especially during high rates of anaerobic energy delivery. Carnosine may attenuate acidosis by acting as a pH buffer, but improved contractile performance may also be obtained by improved excitation-contraction coupling and defence against reactive oxygen species. High carnosine concentrations are found in individuals with a high proportion of fast-twitch fibres, because these fibres are enriched with the dipeptide. Muscle carnosine content is lower in women, declines with age and is probably lower in vegetarians, whose diets are deprived of beta-alanine. Sprint-trained athletes display markedly high muscular carnosine, but the acute effect of several weeks of training on muscle carnosine is limited. High carnosine levels in elite sprinters are therefore either an important genetically determined talent selection criterion or a result of slow adaptation to years of training. beta-Alanine is rapidly developing as a popular ergogenic nutritional supplement for athletes worldwide, and the currently available scientific literature suggests that its use is evidence based. However, many aspects of the supplement, such as the potential side effects and the mechanism of action, require additional and thorough investigation by the sports science community.

Thermal performance of a small oil-in-glass tube thermal energy storage system during charging

A very small oil-in-glass tube thermal energy storage (TES) system is designed to allow for rapid heat transfer experiments. An electrical hot plate in thermal contact with a steel spiral coil (SSC) is used to charge the TES system under different hot plate temperatures and under different average charging flow rates. Thermal performance during charging is presented in terms of the axial temperature distribution, the axial degree of thermal stratification, the total energy stored and the total exergy stored. The energy and exergy delivery rates of the energy delivery device (EDD) are also evaluated in relation to the thermal performance of the storage system. Results of charging the storage system under different hot plate temperatures indicate that there is an optimal charging temperature for optimal thermal performance. The results also indicate that exceeding this optimal temperature leads to a degradation of the thermal performance due to increased heat losses. Charging at the same temperature conditions under different flow rate regimes suggests that there is an optimal charging flow rate. This optimal flow rate is a compromise between achieving a greater heat transfer rate in the EDD and achieving a greater degree of thermal stratification in the TES system.

Non-Solid Explosives for Shaped Charges. Part III. Metal Liner Devices Used in Explosive Ordnance Disposal Operations

Disposal of time-expired and unexploded ordnance has proved problematical in the past because of the procedures adopted; i.e., attach an explosive charge and cause the munition to function or long-range projectile attack. Improvements used explosively driven metallic liners to impact on the munition but detonation occurred with the standard plastic explosive fillings. If the munition can be persuaded to burn or at worst deflagrate, then the region of collateral damage could be reduced, even though the extended detonation safety zone would still be required. This article describes some work performed on the initiation of munitions ranging from simulated mortar shells, filled with plastic explosive PE4, via NATO standard 81-mm mortar shells to 1000-lb (450-kg) bombs by either copper cone or dish liners devices filled with various sensitized nitromethane formulations. Most of these formulations initiated deflagrations in the attacked munitions. Detonations resulted in some cases when plastic explosive, PE 4, or chemically (DETA) sensitized NM was used as the device filling. The results were analyzed in terms of the critical rate of energy delivery. Both heat dose and blast overpressure produced by the deflagrations were measured and indicated that the region of collateral damage would be extensively reduced even though the safety exclusion zone, based on full detonation, would have to be maintained. Use of these fillings would reduce the hazard to the operator during EOD work.

Efficiency of Energy Conversion in Underwater Spark Discharges and Associated Bubble Oscillations: Experimental Results

In this paper low-voltage high-energy spark discharges in water and associated bubble oscillations are studied experimentally. Pressure waves emitted during spark discharges and during following bubble oscillations have been recorded and analyzed to determine the radiated acoustic energy and potential energy of the bubbles. These energies are then used to determine the efficiency of energy conversion. For example, it has been found out that only 2% to 8% of electrical energy stored in the capacitor bank is converted into the potential energy of the bubble at its first maximum volume and only about 30% of this potential energy is radiated as acoustic energy in the first bubble pulse. Due to specific features of the low-voltage apparatus used, bubbles of different sizes have been generated and these bubbles were found to oscillate with different intensities. To explain this great diversity in the generated bubbles, the electrical circuit of the apparatus and the early stages of the spark discharge are analyzed. While it is confirmed that the bubble size grows with the energy used for discharge, the relation between the intensity of bubble oscillations and the circuit parameters is more complex. To explain this relation, two hypotheses, partly supported by the data available, are presented. The first hypothesis concerns the rate of electrical energy delivery into the discharge channel, and the second hypothesis concerns the efficiency of electrical energy conversion into heat in the discharge channel.

Energy-Aware and Time-Critical Geo-Routing in Wireless Sensor Networks

Volunteer forwarding, as an emerging routing idea for large scale, location-aware wireless sensor networks, has recently received significant attention. However, several critical research issues raised by volunteer forwarding, including communication collisions, communication voids, and time-critical routing, have not been well addressed by the existing work. In this paper, we propose a priority-based stateless geo-routing (PSGR) protocol that addresses these issues. Based on PSGR, sensor nodes are able to locally determine their priority to serve as the next relay node using dynamically estimated network density. This effectively suppresses potential communication collisions without prolonging routing delays. PSGR also overcomes the communication void problem using two alternative stateless schemes, rebroadcast and bypass. Meanwhile, PSGR supports routing of time-critical packets with different deadline requirements at no extra communication cost. Additionally, we analyze the energy consumption and the delivery rate of PSGR as functions of the transmission range. Finally, an extensive performance evaluation has been conducted to compare PSGR with competing protocols, including GeRaf, IGF, GPSR, flooding, and MSPEED. Simulation results show that PSGR exhibits superior performance in terms of energy consumption, routing latency, and delivery rate, and soundly outperforms all of the compared protocols.

Effect of intragastric acid stability of fat emulsions on gastric emptying, plasma lipid profile and postprandial satiety

Fat is often included in common foods as an emulsion of dispersed oil droplets to enhance the organoleptic quality and stability. The intragastric acid stability of emulsified fat may impact on gastric emptying, satiety and plasma lipid absorption. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether, compared with an acid-unstable emulsion, an acid-stable fat emulsion would empty from the stomach more slowly, cause more rapid plasma lipid absorption and cause greater satiety. Eleven healthy male volunteers received on two separate occasions 500 ml of 15 % (w/w) [13C]palmitate-enriched olive oil-in-water emulsion meals which were either stable or unstable in the acid gastric environment. MRI was used to measure gastric emptying and the intragastric oil fraction of the meals. Blood sampling was used to measure plasma lipids and visual analogue scales were used to assess satiety. The acid-unstable fat emulsion broke and rapidly layered in the stomach. Gastric emptying of meal volume was slower for the acid-stable fat emulsion (P < 0.0001; two-way ANOVA). The rate of energy delivery of fat from the stomach to the duodenum was not different up to t = 110 min. The acid-stable emulsion induced increased fullness (P < 0.05), decreased hunger (P < 0.0002), decreased appetite (P < 0.0001) and increased the concentration of palmitic acid tracer in the chylomicron fraction (P < 0.04). This shows that it is possible to delay gastric emptying and increase satiety by stabilising the intragastric distribution of fat emulsions against the gastric acid environment. This could have implications for the design of novel foods.

Light delivery over extended time periods enhances the effectiveness of photodynamic therapy.

The rate of energy delivery is a principal factor determining the biological consequences of photodynamic therapy (PDT). In contrast to conventional high-irradiance treatments, recent preclinical and clinical studies have focused on low-irradiance schemes. The objective of this study was to investigate the relationship between irradiance, photosensitizer dose, and PDT dose with regard to treatment outcome and tumor oxygenation in a rat tumor model. Using the photosensitizer HPPH (2-[1-hexyloxyethyl]-2-devinyl pyropheophorbide), a wide range of PDT doses that included clinically relevant photosensitizer concentrations was evaluated. Magnetic resonance imaging and oxygen tension measurements were done along with the Evans blue exclusion assay to assess vascular response, oxygenation status, and tumor necrosis. In contrast to high-incident laser power (150 mW), low-power regimens (7 mW) yielded effective tumor destruction. This was largely independent of PDT dose (drug-light product), with up to 30-fold differences in photosensitizer dose and 15-fold differences in drug-light product. For all drug-light products, the duration of light treatment positively influenced tumor response. Regimens using treatment times of 120 to 240 min showed marked reduction in signal intensity in T2-weighted magnetic resonance images at both low (0.1 mg/kg) and high (3 mg/kg) drug doses compared with short-duration (6-11 min) regimens. Significantly greater reductions in pO(2) were observed with extended exposures, which persisted after completion of treatment. These results confirm the benefit of prolonged light exposure, identify vascular response as a major contributor, and suggest that duration of light treatment (time) may be an important new treatment variable.

Colony-based foraging segregation by Antarctic fur seals at the Kerguelen Archipelago

The foraging behaviour of conspecific female Antarctic fur seals (AFS) was compared simultaneously at 2 breeding colonies at Iles Kerguelen (S Indian Ocean). A remnant colony at IIes Nuageuses (IN) thought to have escaped sealing is hypothesized to be the source of increasing fur seal numbers at Cap Noir (CN) on the Kerguelen mainland. Inter-annual variability in foraging areas is known to occur in response to local oceanographic changes at CN. Given the distance between the 2 sites (~160 km), we hypothesize that seals from the 2 colonies may show spatial segregation in foraging due to variability in local prey resource availability, although the transfer of foraging knowledge between sites via emigration may override such behaviour. The foraging zones, diving activity, diet and foraging success of seals were compared between sites using satellite telemetry, dive recorders and faecal analysis. No evidence of spatial foraging overlap was observed, with seals from IN conducting longer foraging trips, typified by a longer initial transit phase, than CN seals, which spent less time diving at night and dived more deeply. Pups nevertheless received higher absolute and daily energy delivery rates at IN. Diet was superficially similar at ~98% myctophid consumption; however, IN seals favoured the high-energy Gymnoscopelus nicholsi, indicating that local heterogeneity in marine resources likely influences the foraging zone choice of AFS. Finally, distribution patterns of 54 female AFS tracked during summer months from 1998 to 2006 reveal the importance of both on-shelf (<500 m) and shelf-break regions as foraging habitat. The core foraging area for CN in all years (10 400 km2) was small (~10% of total foraging space); however, time spent in this region alone totaled 38%. The likelihood of spatial overlap in foraging range is higher on the east coast of Kerguelen.

Chemical and electro-chemical applications of in situ microwave heating

Microwave energy can be readily focused and delivered into chemical or electrochemical reactor systems. The thermal effects introduced by microwave radiation are more localised when compared to conventional heating and a much higher rate of energy delivery (faster heating and cooling cycles) can be achieved. This report summarises some recent developments where benefits from microwave activation in chemical processes have been observed or novel applications of microwaves in chemistry have emerged. A selection of references and reviews in this rapidly expanding field are provided and particular emphasis is on contrasting processes in homogeneous and in heterogeneous microwave fields with strong field focusing. For in situ microwave activated electrochemical processes the focusing effect is demonstrated to lead to microwave activation of only the solution phase in the vicinity of the metal electrode surface. Strong temperature gradients are observed and novel physical phenomena leading to extremely high mass transport and current densities.

Corticosterone and foraging behavior in a diving seabird: The Adélie penguin, Pygoscelis adeliae

Because hormones mediate physiological or behavioral responses to intrinsic or extrinsic stimuli, they can help us understand how animals adapt their foraging decisions to energetic demands of reproduction. Thus, the hormone corticosterone deserves specific attention because of its influence on metabolism, food intake and locomotor activities. We examined the relationships between baseline corticosterone levels and foraging behavior or mass gain at sea in a diving seabird, the Adélie penguin, Pygoscelis adeliae. Data were obtained from free-ranging penguins during the brooding period (Adélie Land, Antarctica) by using satellite transmitters and time-depth-recorders. The birds were weighed and blood sampled before and after a foraging trip (pre-trip and post-trip corticosterone levels, respectively). Penguins with elevated pre-trip corticosterone levels spent less time at sea and stayed closer to the colony than penguins with low pre-trip corticosterone levels. These short trips were associated with a higher foraging effort in terms of diving activity and a lower mass gain at sea than long trips. According to previous studies conducted on seabird species, these results suggest that penguins with elevated pre-trip corticosterone levels might maximize the rate of energy delivery to the chicks at the expense of their body reserves. Moreover, in all birds, corticosterone levels were lower post-foraging than pre-foraging. This decrease could result from either the restoration of body reserves during the foraging trip or from a break in activity at the end of the foraging trip. This study demonstrates for the first time in a diving predator the close relationships linking foraging behavior and baseline corticosterone levels. We suggest that slight elevations in pre-trip corticosterone levels could play a major role in breeding effort by facilitating foraging activity in breeding seabirds.

An energy–distance trade-off in a central-place forager, the Antarctic fur seal (Arctocephalus gazella)

We tested the prediction that lactating fur seals (Arctocephalus gazella) at South Georgia will take prey of greater energy density with increasing distance of foraging from the colony. The study investigated the differences in diet of fur seals foraging within two regions, one near the breeding colony and the other at greater distance. Diet varied significantly in relation to foraging location. Dietary items of low quality were eaten in both regions but more food items with a high-energy content appeared in the diet of seals travelling to distant oceanic waters. We conclude that there is likely to be a trade-off between energy gain and distance travelled which enables female fur seals to maintain a relatively constant rate of energy delivery to their offspring irrespective of the distance travelled to find food.

A phase III randomized double-blind placebo-controlled clinical trial to determine the efficacy of low level laser therapy for the prevention of oral mucositis in patients undergoing hematopoietic cell transplantation

Oral mucositis (OM) is a significant early complication of hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT). This phase III randomized double-blind placebo-controlled study was designed to compare the ability of 2 different low level GaAlAs diode lasers (650 nm and 780 nm) to prevent oral mucositis in HCT patients conditioned with chemotherapy or chemoradiotherapy. Seventy patients were enrolled and randomized into 1 of 3 treatment groups: 650 nm laser, 780 nm laser or placebo. All active laser treatment patients received daily direct laser treatment to the lower labial mucosa, right and left buccal mucosa, lateral and ventral surfaces of the tongue, and floor of mouth with energy densities of 2 J/cm2. Study treatment began on the first day of conditioning and continued through day +2 post HCT. Mucositis and oral pain was measured on days 0, 4, 7, 11, 14, 18, and 21 post HCT. The 650 nm wavelength reduced the severity of oral mucositis and pain scores. Low level laser therapy was well-tolerated and no adverse events were noted. While these results are encouraging, further study is needed to truly establish the efficacy of this mucositis prevention strategy. Future research needs to determine the effects of modification of laser parameters (e.g., wavelength, fluence, repetition rate of energy delivery, etc.) on the effectiveness of LLE laser to prevent OM.

Lactation patterns of pinnipeds are not explained by optimization of maternal energy delivery rates

Within pinnipeds, phocids and otariids show differing maternal care strategies. Phocids rear young out of body stores in a yearly cycle with a single stay ashore when the mother fasts while lactating, whereas otariids provision their young by repeated foraging trips to sea alternating with brief stays ashore where they suckle their young. In a previous optimality model, these differences have been interpreted as adaptations based on differing energy requirements of large (phocid) and smaller (otariid) species, and the time budget of the large elephant and the much smaller Antarctic fur seal were correctly predicted. Our refined model—extended to pinniped species of all sizes—predicts lactation strategies to shift from attendance cycles to 1-year cycles with increasing body mass and provides an explanation for the finding that phocid pups are weaned at lower relative mass than otariid pups. However, other predictions do not correspond to empirical findings. In particular, the model does not explain the behavior of large otariids and small phocids. Thus, maternal metabolic requirements alone appear insufficient to explain observed lactation patterns. In the light of our results, we discuss more generally the scope and limitations of optimality models when applied in a comparative framework to a group of related species.

Increased energy expenditure by a seabird in response to higher food abundance

Variability in forage fish abundance strongly affects seabird behavior and reproductive success, although details of this relationship are unclear. During 1997 and 1998, we measured (1) daily energy expenditure (DEE) of 80 parent black-legged kittiwakes Rissa tridactyla at 2 colonies in Prince William Sound, Alaska (North Icy Bay and Shoup Bay), (2) abundance of surface-schooling forage fishes within the foraging range of each colony, and (3) diet composition, energy delivery rates to nestlings, and reproductive success of kittiwakes at these same colonies. Female DEE was highest at North Icy Bay in 1998, while male DEE did not differ by colony year. Abundances of Pacific herring Clupea pallasi and sand lance Ammodytes hexapterus were highest near North Icy Bay in 1998 and nearly equal in density, although Age 1+ herring comprised the majority of the diet there. Energy delivery rates to nestlings, nestling growth rates, and productivity were also highest at North Icy Bay in 1998. We suggest that female kittiwakes responded to the increased abundance of Age 1+ herring near North Icy Bay in 1998 by increasing their DEE, which in turn positively affected reproductive success. Given that adult kittiwakes have been shown to suffer decreased survival as a response to increased energy expenditure during brood rearing, the positive correlation we observed between increased abundance of a high quality food source, parental effort, and productivity is consistent with maximizing lifetime reproductive success. The lack of a response in male DEE suggests that brood-rearing roles in kittiwakes differ between genders.

The benefit of dividing an indirect thermal storage into two compartments: Discharge experiments

Experiments are presented to demonstrate the benefits of dividing an indirect thermal storage into two compartments. The transient discharge experiments were conducted in an undivided and equally divided 126 l rectangular storage vessel, which has a height to depth aspect ratio of 9.3:1 and is inclined at 30° to the horizontal. A 240-tube copper heat exchanger with a total surface area of 2.38 m 2 was immersed in the storage fluid. For the divided storage, the heat exchanger flow path was in series through the two compartments. Water flow rate through the heat exchanger was varied from 0.05 to 0.15 kg/s to demonstrate the effect of varying the number of transfer units (NTU) from 2.2 to 7 on the relative performance of undivided and divided storage vessels. Reported measurements include transient storage temperature distribution, heat exchanger outlet temperature, delivered energy, and exergy of the divided and undivided storage. The divided storage provides higher energy delivery rates and higher heat exchanger outlet temperatures during most of the discharge. The magnitude of these benefits depends on NTU and the extent of discharge. For a flow rate of 0.05 kg/s, corresponding to a nominal NTU of 7, the divided storage delivers a maximum of 11% more energy than the undivided storage when 100 l of hot water or 55% of the stored energy has been delivered. For a flow rate of 0.15 kg/s, corresponding to a nominal NTU of 2.5, the divided storage delivers a maximum of 5% more energy at the same level of discharge. Data agree with first and second law analyses of a storage system comprised of two tanks in series.

On the Violence of High Explosive Reactions

High explosive reactions can be caused by three general energy deposition processes: impact ignition by frictional and/or shear heating; bulk thermal heating; and shock compression. The violence of the subsequent reaction varies from benign slow combustion to catastrophic detonation of the entire charge. The degree of violence depends on many variables, including the rate of energy delivery, the physical and chemical properties of the explosive, and the strength of the confinement surrounding the explosive charge. The current state of experimental and computer-modeling research on the violence of impact, thermal, and shock-induced reactions is briefly reviewed in this paper.

Gastric emptying and fluid availability after ingestion of glucose and soy protein hydrolysate solutions in man.

The double sampling gastric aspiration method was used to measure the effect of energy content on the rate of gastric emptying of glucose and soy protein hydrolysate solutions. The net rate of absorption of water from these solutions was assessed using deuterium oxide as a tracer for water. Six healthy male subjects were each studied on four separate occasions using a test drink volume of 600 ml. The half emptying times (t 1/2, median (range)) of the iso-energetic soy protein hydrolysate (6P, 60 g l(-1), 36 (14-39) min) and glucose (7G, 70 g l(-1), 25 (19-29) min) solutions were similar. These two solutions (6P, 7G) delivered energy to the small intestine at similar rates, and resulted in similar rates of accumulation of the deuterium tracer in the circulation. The dilute glucose solution (LG, 23 g l(-1)) was emptied faster (t 1/2 13 (11-19) min) and resulted in a faster rate of tracer accumulation in the circulation than any of the other solutions, including the iso-osmotic soy protein solution (LG 311 +/- 5 mosmol kg(-1), 6P 321 +/- 24 mosmol kg(-1)). The concentrated soy protein hydrolysate solution (12P, 120 g l(-1)) emptied more slowly (t 1/2 80 (44-120) min) than the more dilute solutions. The rate of energy delivery to the small intestine from 12P was similar to that from 6P for the first 50 min after ingestion, and similar to that from 7G at all sample points. These results indicate that the iso-energetic solutions of glucose and soy protein hydrolysate used in this study are emptied from the stomach at similar rates and result in similar rates of fluid availability after ingestion.

Dynamic temporal pulse shaping in advanced ultrafast laser material processing

Phase-manipulated ultrafast laser pulses and temporally tailored pulse trains with THz repetition rates are promising new tools for quality micromachining of brittle dielectrics, allowing to adapt the laser energy delivery rate to the material properties for optimal processing. Different materials respond with specific reaction pathways to the sudden energy input depending on the efficiency of electron generation and on the ability to release the energy into the lattice. The sequential energy delivery with judiciously chosen pulse trains may induce softening of the material during the initial steps of excitation and change the energy coupling for the subsequent steps. We show that this can result in lower stress, cleaner structures, and allow for a material-dependent optimization process.

Chick metabolic rate and growth in three species of albatross: a comparative study

The relative importance of genetic vs. environmental factors in determining the pattern of avian post-embryonic development is much debated. Previous cross-fostering of albatrosses suggested that although inter-specific variation in growth rate was determined primarily by differences in dietary energy content, species-specific constraints might have evolved that could limit maximal growth, even in chicks fed at similar rates and on similar diets. This study aimed to determine whether intrinsic differences in resting metabolic rate were apparent during the linear phase of growth in chicks of three species (black-browed, grey-headed and light-mantled sooty albatrosses). There was a gradual increase in absolute, and a reduction in mass-specific metabolic rate from 5.0 W kg −1 during the earliest part of linear growth, to 3.5 W kg −1 by the time chicks reached peak mass. These values are considerably higher than in resting adults of comparable or lower mass, presumably reflecting the large size and high metabolic demand of organs involved in rapid nutrient processing and tissue synthesis by chicks. The lack of any detectable inter-specific variation in the pattern of metabolic rate changes casts some doubt on the existence of fundamental differences in growth rate that cannot be attributed simply to differences in dietary energy or nutrient delivery rate.