Researchers are equipping elephant seals and autonomous underwater vehicles with monitoring devices in order to uncover the mysteries of the oceans and enhance comprehension of the effects of climate change. The oceans play a crucial role in regulating the world's climate by absorbing heat and redistributing it globally. Additionally, they serve as a significant carbon dioxide sink, slowing down the rate of climate change. However, experts emphasize the necessity of expanding a worldwide monitoring system, with the Southern Ocean between Australia and Antarctica being particularly important. This region is a primary absorber of human-produced carbon emissions and a driving force behind the planet's climate. "To comprehend the speed of climate change, it is essential to grasp the ocean processes such as the rate at which it can store heat and carbon," explained Susan Wijffels, an oceanographer and leader of Australia's Integrated Marine Observing System (IMOS). She emphasized the significant impact of ocean activities on the pace of the climate system and the regional climate change patterns. Wijffels, speaking from a climate conference in Hobart, Tasmania, highlighted the importance of understanding natural ocean cycles that influence terrestrial weather patterns to enhance long-term forecasts for agriculture and urban water management. IMOS collaborates with researchers from various Australian universities, research institutions, as well as scientists from the United States, Asia, and Europe. With a recent increase in funding, the team plans to equip approximately 100 elephant seals with devices to gather data from the depths near Antarctica. A small device equipped with an antenna is fastened to the seals' heads to gather data on temperature, salinity, and pressure while they hunt for food underwater. Additionally, self-propelled gliders measuring about 2 meters in length will be used in the waters near 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. One of the main focuses is on the sea ice surrounding Antarctica, where current self-propelled measurement tools, known as Argos, struggle to operate effectively as they need to resurface frequently to transmit data to satellites. Argos are cylindrical devices that can dive to depths of up to 2 km. Thousands of Argos have been deployed worldwide, with new varieties being created to detect breaks in sea ice and transmit data. The oceans beneath the ice are currently not well monitored on a global or national scale, according to Wijffels. There is a growing belief that heat from the ocean may be contributing to the destabilization of ice shelves in Greenland and Antarctica. If all the ice in Greenland were to melt, it could raise sea levels by 7 meters (23 feet), scientists warn. 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 hinder the ocean's capacity to absorb carbon. The initiative also seeks to enhance monitoring of key ocean currents in Australia that transport heat globally, such as those passing through the Lombok Strait near Bali. While measurements in the North Atlantic are more prevalent, there is a significant lack of data in the Southern Hemisphere, according to Wijffels.