Researchers are equipping elephant seals and autonomous underwater vehicles with monitoring devices to uncover the mysteries of the oceans and enhance knowledge of the effects of climate change. The oceans play a crucial role in regulating the Earth's climate by absorbing heat and redistributing it globally. Additionally, they absorb significant levels of carbon dioxide, which helps slow down the rate of climate change. However, scientists emphasize the importance of expanding a worldwide monitoring system, with the Southern Ocean between Australia and Antarctica being particularly significant. This region serves as a major repository of human-produced carbon emissions and plays a key role in shaping the Earth's climate. "To comprehend the speed at which climate change is occurring, it is crucial to have a deep understanding of ocean processes, such as the rate at which heat and carbon can be stored," explained Susan Wijffels, an oceanographer who leads a team for Australia's Integrated Marine Observing System (IMOS). Speaking to Reuters from a climate conference in Hobart, Tasmania, she emphasized the significant impact that ocean activities have on the pace and regional variations of climate change. Furthermore, researchers aim to enhance their knowledge of natural ocean cycles that influence terrestrial weather patterns in order to enhance long-term predictions for agriculture and urban water management. By bringing together scientists from various Australian institutions and collaborating with experts from the United States, Asia, and Europe, IMOS is working to better understand and address these complex issues. With increased funding, the team plans to equip approximately 100 elephant seals with sensors to gather valuable data from the waters surrounding Antarctica. A small device with an antenna is fastened to the heads of seals in order to monitor temperature, salinity, and pressure while they search for food underwater. In addition to this, self-propelled gliders measuring about 2 meters long will be used in the waters around Australia, reaching depths of up to 1,500 meters to collect data. These gliders, equipped with wings and a rudder, are capable of staying at sea for months and can be operated remotely. The primary focus of this research is the region of sea ice near Antarctica where traditional self-propelled measurement devices, known as Argos, are unable to operate efficiently as they must frequently resurface to transmit data to satellites. Argos are cylindrical devices that can descend to depths of up to 2 km. Many Argos have been sent out worldwide. There are new versions of Argos being created that have the ability to detect breaks in the sea ice in order to transmit their findings. According to Wijffels, the oceans beneath the ice are not properly monitored by global and national observation systems. It is believed that the ocean may be transferring heat into the sea ice region, which could be contributing to the destabilization of the large ice shelves in Greenland and Antarctica. Scientists warn that Greenland has sufficient ice to cause a 7-meter (23-foot) rise in sea levels if it were to completely melt. Increasing levels of carbon dioxide are causing oceans to become more acidic, which is impacting the ability of sea creatures to create shells. There are concerns that this increased acidity could also hinder the ocean's capacity to absorb carbon. The initiative also seeks to enhance monitoring of significant currents in Australia that play a role in distributing heat across the globe, such as those passing through the Lombok Strait near Bali in Indonesia, using deep-ocean moorings. While measurements like these are more prevalent in the North Atlantic region, there is a significant lack of data in the Southern Hemisphere, according to Wijffels.