Which constraint primarily limits dive duration of marine mammals equipped with hemoglobin-rich blood performing prolonged swims during foraging?

💡 Explanation

During prolonged dives, the buildup of lactic acid occurs owing to anaerobic metabolism due to declining oxygen stores in blood and muscle, inhibiting muscle function because reduced blood pH impairs oxygen binding to hemoglobin. Therefore a lactic acid buildup limits dive duration, rather than myoglobin offloading, barotrauma, or glycogen depletion, which are governed by related but distinct processes.

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