More than a half dozen Weddell seals, each with a futuristic monitoring device weighing just over a pound strapped to their heads, have been helping Japanese researchers learn about the waters under Antarctica’s ice sheet, according to a report from Reuters.
The seals, which were selected for the research project back in 2017, were each equipped with temperature and depth sensors. The seals, with the high-tech device on their heads, then freely swam around the Antarctic ice while inadvertently collecting important data on things like water temperature and salinity in an environment that could not support human divers.
“During the summer, we can go to Antarctica on icebreakers to conduct actual research activities, so that we can collect data there. But during the winter, such things cannot be done in so many places,” project leader Nobuo Kokubun said to Reuters.
A view of Antarctica’s snowy and icy landscape. (National Institute of Polar Research)
The seals did their jobs well, traveling far and deep, gathering an array of data points. One seal journeyed just under 400 miles from the coast of Japan’s Showa Station in Antarctica, while another brave seal dove nearly 2,300 feet.
The researchers, who are studying the impact of global warming on Antarctica’s coastal habitats, hope to outfit penguins with a similar helmet next time.
“The advantage with penguins is that they come back to the same place, and we can collect the data from them immediately. Also, we can use the devices on a large number of penguins so they can cover a wide area,” Kokubun said.
