TOKYO, March 1 (Reuters) – A seal wearing a helmet with an antenna may seem unusual, but eight Weddell seals, each with a 580g monitoring device on their heads, helped Japanese researchers probe the waters beneath the thick Antarctic ice sheet. .

Exploited for a research project between March and November 2017 – winter in Antarctica – these seals were equipped with the head-mounted conductivity, temperature and depth sensor, which allows scientists to collect observational data, such as water temperature and salt levels, in areas with extremely harsh environmental conditions.

Project leader Nobuo Kokubun said such research helps scientists trace the behavioral patterns and ecology of animals.

“During the summer, we can go to Antarctica on icebreakers to do real research, so we can collect data there. But during the winter, such things cannot be done in so many places. ‘places,” Kokubun said in an interview with Reuters on Friday.

“However, even in such a situation, many animals such as seals live in the Antarctic region, so I thought we should ask them to collect the data,” Kokubun added.

Data successfully collected from seven seals showed that one traveled as far as 633 km (393 miles) from the coast of Japan’s Showa station in Antarctica, while another descended to a depth of 700 m (2,297 ft).

Kokubun said scientists also learned from data that warm seawater from the deep sea upper layer reached Antarctica from March through winter that year. Water flowed under the ice, bringing in sea creatures like Antarctic krill, a major food source for seals.

In a bid to further examine the impact of global warming on Antarctic coastal areas, Kokubun next hopes to make the device small enough to fit other South Pole animals such as penguins.

“The advantage with the penguins is that they come back to the same place and we can collect the data immediately. Also, we can use the devices on a large number of penguins so they can cover a wide area,” a- he declared.

Reporting by Akira Tomoshige and Irene Wang; Editing by Travis Teo, Karishma Singh and Gerry Doyle

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