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Good morning Jonah. I actually did my undergraduate research on this field. The answer depends on the animal. Different species, from micro-organisms to insects to vertebrates have different methods. It can range from chemicals that act like "anti-freeze" to prevent tissue damage, to the ability to decrease heart rate, metabolism, aerobic activity and blood flow to the extremities without damaging the central nervous system or body tissue.
My own research was in something called CTMin, or critical thermal minimum (There is also research in CTMax or critical thermal maximum.). I worked with tropical lizards (anoles) and snakes from northern Ohio (dekay's brown, fox, garter). An animal has a thermal couple placed into them and then the critter is placed into a cold chamber until they stop moving. At that point they are considered environmentally "dead" because they can not escape or defend themselves. Within minutes after you remove them from the the chamber, they are running around and even eating as if they hadn't just been stressed to the point where death could occur. Impressive.
Even more impressive is some of the survival rate research that's been done on various species, both in the lab and in the field... northern water snakes that are encased in ice within their wintering hibernaculum or the lab; insects that will be frozen in soil or tree bark over the winter or in a lab, sea stars that live in ice water in Antarctica.
Martin S. Fisher
Director of Education
Nauticus, the National Maritime Center
One Waterside Drive
Norfolk, VA 23510
36°50'51"N 76°17'53"W 13 ft.
phone: (757) 664-1003, (800) 664-1080 ext. 41003
fax: (757) 623-1287 cell (757) 617-7080
[log in to unmask] <mailto:[log in to unmask]> www.nauticus.org <http://www.nauticus.org>
-----Original Message-----
From: Jonah Cohen [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Friday, April 09, 2004 8:25 AM
Subject: The cold, hard truth
ISEN-ASTC-L is a service of the Association of Science-Technology Centers
Incorporated, a worldwide network of science museums and related institutions.
*****************************************************************************
One consequence of my job is that I'm often struck by weird questions,
and I don't know the answer and then it bugs me. Which is why I then bug
the listserve.
Today's query: we're getting an exhibit on whales, so we'll be breaking
out the good ole blubber glove demo for our visitors. Which for some
reason made me think. Whales + seals have blubber. Bears + otters have
the fur, penguins have the feathers (plus the air bubble thing). But how
do cold blooded critters like fish, krill, squid etc manage to survive in
icy waters? Do their bodies just function at temps we warm blooded types
couldn't handle, or is there more to it?
You know I always wanted to impersonate a marine biologist!
Jonah Cohen
Outreach & Public Programs Manager
Science Center of Connecticut
"Scalia finished his memo by writing 'If a Supreme Court justice
can be bought so cheaply, this country is in deeper trouble than I
thought.'
In a related story, this country is in deeper trouble than Scalia
thought."
-The Daily Show
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