Some people say we know more about the moon than we do about the ocean floor. A UCSC researcher is attempting to correct that using elephant seals to collect information.
In Antarctica, unknown forces were shearing pieces off the Wilkins Ice Shelf. The Shelf, with an area the size of Jamaica, began to collapse in 2008, and scientists wanted to know why. If it disappears, they warn, more ice will flow from Antarctica into the ocean, accelerating the rise in sea levels. The problem is that the factors contributing to the disappearance of the ice shelf lie over a mile deep in frigid waters.
Enter Daniel Costa, a UCSC researcher who studies elephant seals. The seals, he says, dive that distance regularly in their search for food. Tony transmitters attached to their fur can help scientists study temperature, salinity and pressure data, all important to understanding the factors that are contributing to the shrinking of the Wilkins Ice Shelf. They’ve already discovered that the underwater troughs along the ocean floor are deeper than previously believed. This means that warmer water can get beneath the ice shelf and accelerate its shrinkage.
Costa is now in New Zealand on his way to Antarctica. So far, he is the only person to have the information scientists are seeking about this vital region. His seals may play a small part in understanding rising ocean levels, but their part is vital to everyone on the planet. Read more at the Santa Cruz Sentinel.
