Unable to conduct direct research due to the harsh environment, Japanese experts are attaching devices to the heads of seals to assist them.
A group of Weddell seals (Leptonychotes weddellii) are equipped with tracking devices weighing 580 grams on their heads to help Japanese researchers survey the waters beneath the thick ice sheets in Antarctica, Reuters reported on March 1.
Weddell seals equipped with devices to study the seawater beneath the thick ice sheets in Antarctica in April 2017. (Photo: National Institute of Polar Research, Japan/Reuters)
For a research project running from March to November 2017, during the Antarctic winter, Weddell seals were outfitted with depth, temperature, and thermal conductivity sensors on their heads, allowing scientists to collect data such as water temperature and salinity in areas with extremely harsh natural conditions.
Project leader Nobuo Kokubun stated that such research helps scientists monitor animal behavior patterns as well as the ecosystem.
“In the summer, we can reach Antarctica by icebreaker to conduct actual research activities and collect data there. In winter, there are many places where such work cannot be carried out,” Kokubun explained.
“However, even in those circumstances, many animals, such as seals, still live in Antarctica. Therefore, I think we should let them collect data,” Kokubun added.
The successfully collected data from 7 seals showed that one of them traveled as far as 633 kilometers from the Showa research station (Japan) in Antarctica, while another dove to a depth of 700 meters.
From the data, scientists also learned that warm water in the upper layer of the offshore sea has been flowing to Antarctica since March, continuing through the winter of the same year. The water flows beneath the ice, carrying marine organisms such as Euphausia superba, a species of krill and an important food source for seals.
To further understand the impact of global warming on coastal areas of Antarctica, Kokubun hopes to improve the devices to be smaller and suitable for other animals, such as penguins.
“The advantage of penguins is that they return to the same place, and we can collect data from them immediately. Additionally, we could also use the devices on a large number of penguins to cover a vast area,” he noted.
