USE OF BIOELECTRICAL-IMPEDANCE ANALYSIS TO ASSESS BODY-COMPOSITION OFSEALS

Bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) measures resistance and reactan ce of a current as it passes through an organism. The validity of usin g BIA as a tool to measure body water content, and hence body composit ion and condition, was tested on harp and ringed seals. The resistance and reactance readings from BIA were compared to estimates of total b ody water (TBW) determined via tritiated water dilution. The relations hip between resistance and TBW (% of body mass) was linear after logar ithmic transformation and the two variables were highly correlated. We describe the electrode configuration and placements which provide rel iable results in these seals. Our findings indicate that BIA has consi derable potential as an inexpensive, rapid, and reliable technique for estimating body composition of phocid seals.