The biomechanics and physiological ecology of the world's biggest mouthful: lunge feeding in rorqual whales

Jeremy Goldbogen is an animal physiologist who studies the behavior and physical mechanisms of feeding in marine species that filter vast quantities of water for the smallest food. Called 'ram' feeding, it is used by species as different as whales, pelicans, and anchovies. Gigantic ram filter feeders have evolved independently in several lineages of bony fishes, birds, sharks, and whales, but the physiological mechanisms of this feeding mode are virtually unknown. Jeremy will present an integrated approach towards understanding the biomechanics and physiological ecology of ram feeding in the world's largest whales, with an emphasis on the scaling of feeding performance and the energetic limits to extreme body size. This research framework is applicable to a wide range of taxa that represent economically, ecologically, and culturally important species.