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Seals help Japanese researchers collect data under Antarctic ice

Published

3 years ago

wajahat

Seals help Japanese researchers collect data under Antarctic ice

Project leader said such research helps scientists trace the animals’ behavioural patterns and ecology.
Each seals had travelled as far as 633km (393 miles) from the coast of Japan’s Showa Station in Antarctica.
These seals were equipped with the head-mounted conductivity, temperature and depth sensor.

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.

The data successfully gathered from seven seals showed one of them had travelled as far as 633km (393 miles) from the coast of Japan’s Showa Station in Antarctica, while another had descended to a depth of 700m (2,297 ft).

Kokubun said the scientists also learned from the data that warm seawater from the upper layer in the open sea reached Antarctica from March through winter that year. The water flowed below the ice, bringing in sea creatures like Antarctic krill, a major food source for seals.

Aiming to examine further the impact of global warming on Antarctic coastal areas, Kokubun next hopes to make the device small enough to fit on other animals at the South Pole such as penguins.

“The advantage with penguins is that they come back to the same place and we can collect the data from them immediately. Also, we can use the devices on a large number of penguins so they can cover a wide area,” he said.

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Crackdown on Smuggling: More than 13,000 Metric Tonnes of Fertilisers Found

Published

12 hours ago

Farwa

Economic growth is at risk due to smuggling. There is a continual crackdown to maintain public safety and a stable economy.

Between October 20 and 28, 131,000 litres of Iranian oil, 71 metric tonnes of grain, 293 pieces of cloth, and 1,105 cartons of cigarettes were confiscated by the authorities.

Since September 1, 2023, a total of 17.548 million litres of Iranian oil, 13,088.75 metric tonnes of fertilisers, 3,755.69 metric tonnes of flour, 35,129.1 metric tonnes of sugar, 4,381,102 cartonnes of cigarettes, and 155,037 pieces of fabric have been blocked.

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Mushaal Mullick Speaks at the RCC: Supports Palestinian and Kashmiri Rights

Published

12 hours ago

Farwa

At a meeting held today at the Rawalpindi Chamber of Commerce, Mushaal Hussein Mullick, the chairperson of the Peace and Culture Organisation and the widow of detained Kashmiri leader Mohammad Yasin Malik, was the chief guest. With a renowned delegation that included Dr. Owais Malik, Prof. Zafar Sindhu, and Kashmiri businessman Ishtiaq Bhatt, Mullick spoke about urgent issues pertaining to Indian crimes in Jammu and Kashmir and showed support for the Palestinian people.

The event ended with a protest walk with senior business leaders, civil society members, and the head of the Rawalpindi Chamber of Commerce. In light of current conflicts, participants came together to express their concerns about human rights breaches and to stress the significance of worldwide awareness and action.

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12th IDEAS 2024 Edition. CM Sindh’s event to strengthen strategic ties with international partners

Published

12 hours ago

Farwa

IDEAS 2024 will improve commercial exchanges between delegates, trade visitors, defence officials, and OEMs from all across Pakistan and the world, according to Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah. It will also increase Pakistan’s strategic ties with its international allies.

Speaking during the 12th Edition of Ideas 2024’s 3rd steering committee meeting in Karachi, Murad Ali Shah stated that since the event’s founding in 2000, ideas have emerged as a defining characteristic of the national and international defence sector.

According to him, this twice-yearly occasion has gradually developed into a legendary assembly that promotes information sharing both inside and outside of Pakistan and displays cutting-edge technology.

The fact that IDEAS is now acknowledged globally, he continued, is evidence of the strong and advantageous ties we have with our international partners.

The Director General of Depo, Major General Asad Nawaz Khan, HI(M), led the second session, which was held to support the ongoing national-level preparations for this strategically significant event.