Marine biologists at the University of California Santa Cruz have tagged thousands of northern elephant seals with smart sensors.
The ocean's "twilight zone" refers to the mesopelagic zone, a layer of water between 200 and 1,000 meters deep where sunlight barely penetrates, making it a challenging environment to study. This zone is crucial for understanding global carbon cycles and marine ecosystems. Scientists are now using innovative methods to explore this area, including tagging elephant seals with sensors. These seals, which naturally dive to these depths, provide valuable data on temperature, salinity, and other oceanographic conditions. The information gathered helps in mapping the twilight zone's characteristics, understanding its role in carbon sequestration, and assessing the impact of climate change on deep-sea environments. This approach not only reduces the need for expensive and invasive research vessels but also leverages the natural behavior of these marine mammals to enhance our knowledge of this mysterious part of the ocean.
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