Sharjah24 - Reuters: A seal wearing a helmet with an antenna might look unusual, but eight Weddell seals, each with a 580g monitoring device on their heads, have been helping Japanese researchers survey the waters under the thick ice sheet in Antarctica.
Tapped 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 observation data, such as water temperatures and salt levels, in areas with extremely harsh environmental conditions.
Project leader Nobuo Kokubun said such research helps scientists trace the animals' behavioural patterns and ecology.
"During the summer, we can go to Antarctica on icebreakers to conduct actual research activities, so that we can collect data there. But during the winter, such things cannot be done in so many places," Kokubun said during an interview with Reuters on Friday.
"However, even in such a situation, many animals such as seals are living in the area of Antarctica, so I thought we should have them collect the data," Kokubun added.
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