Researchers are equipping elephant seals and self-propelled water gliders with monitoring devices in order to uncover the mysteries of the oceans and enhance our understanding of the effects of climate change. Oceans play a crucial role in regulating the Earth's climate by absorbing heat and redistributing it across the planet. They also serve as a significant carbon dioxide sink, helping to slow down the rate of climate change. However, scientists emphasize the need to expand a global monitoring network, with the Southern Ocean between Australia and Antarctica being particularly important. This region is a major absorber of carbon emissions and a key driver of the Earth's climate. "To comprehend the pace at which climate change is occurring, it is essential to grasp the workings of ocean processes, such as their ability to trap heat and carbon quickly," stated Susan Wijffels, an oceanographer and leader of Australia's Integrated Marine Observing System (IMOS). Speaking to Reuters from a climate conference in Hobart, Tasmania, Wijffels emphasized that the ocean's actions directly impact the speed and regional patterns of climate change. In addition, scientists aim to enhance their understanding of natural ocean cycles that influence terrestrial weather, in order to enhance long-term forecasts for agriculture and urban water management. Through collaboration with researchers from Australian universities, as well as institutions in the United States, Asia, and Europe, IMOS is working to gather data from around Antarctica by equipping approximately 100 elephant seals with monitoring devices, thanks to a recent increase in funding. A small device with an antenna is attached to seals' heads to collect data on temperature, salinity, and pressure while they dive for food. Additionally, self-propelled gliders, measuring about 2 meters in length, will be used in the waters around Australia at depths of up to 1,500 meters to gather information. These gliders, equipped with wings and a rudder, can remain at sea for extended periods and are operated remotely. The focus is on the sea ice near Antarctica, where current measurement devices, known as Argos, struggle to function efficiently as they must surface frequently to transmit data to satellites. Argos are cylinders that can descend to depths of up to 2 km. Thousands of devices have been sent out all over the world. There are new types of Argos being created that can detect breaks in the sea ice in order to transmit their findings. According to Wijffels, the oceans beneath the ice are a part of the observing systems that are often overlooked. It is believed that the ocean is transferring heat into the sea ice zone, which may be contributing to the destabilization of the large ice shelves in Greenland and Antarctica. Experts warn that if all the ice in Greenland were to melt, sea levels could rise by 7 meters (23 feet). Increasing levels of carbon dioxide are causing oceans to become more acidic, which is impacting the ability of sea creatures to produce shells. There are concerns that this increased acidity could hinder the oceans' capacity to absorb carbon. The initiative also seeks to enhance the monitoring of significant currents in Australia that distribute heat globally, such as those passing through the Lombok Strait near Bali in Indonesia, using deep-ocean moorings. While measurements in the North Atlantic are more frequent, there is still a significant gap in data collection in the Southern Hemisphere, according to Wijffels.